Jacob Rees-Mogg says we should ignore the CBI on Brexit: 'They have got everything wrong in their history
12 July 2018 read …
Leading Brexiteer weighs into row with business over the economic impact of leaving the EU
Jacob Rees-Mogg has urged the government to ignore the voice of business leaders as they have “got everything wrong in the whole of their history”.
He said, "vested interests" were colouring the views of major firms, which wanted to protect themselves from tariffs on their goods.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel1806 - 1859read ...
Brunel was one of the most versatile and audacious engineers of the 19th century, responsible for the design of tunnels, bridges, railway lines and ships.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born on 9 April 1806 in Portsmouth.
His father Mark was a French engineer who had fled France during the revolution. Brunel was educated both in England and in France.

Donald Tusk: "Special place in hell" for those without Brexit plan

Donald Tusk calls for Brexit to be a 'ONE-OFF' and not disintegrate the EUMar 24, 2017read ... The European Council president said it was not a coincidence that those working to break up the EU are people who "question liberal democracy".
He said Brexit must not be the beginning of a process which leads to further splits in the EU's "unique territory of freedom".

Waltham Forest, Winner London's Borough of Culture

From Postcodes to Profit
How gangs have changed in Waltham Forest
Dr Andrew Whittaker
Head of the Risk, Resilience and Expert Decision making (RRED) research groupread ...
When the classic Reluctant Gangs study was completed ten years ago, the focus was upon postcode territories that needed to be defended from outsiders. Gang members described an emotional relationship with theirlocal area, leading one young respondent to say that he would 'defend anyone who lived in his postcode’ (Pitts, 2008, p.114).
These territories bore little if any relationship to drugs markets and the violence involved appeared to serve little practical purpose beyond providing an arena to demonstrate courage and physical prowess. Gang membership was exhibited through gang 'colours', where clothing and other insignia were used to demonstrate a visible presence within that territory.
Analysis of gang members and their educational backgrounds is providing in the Haringey Draft Gangs Strategy 2015: There is a 22% prevalence of Special Educational Need / Educational Psychologist history observed in the gang involved cohort.
This is comparable to the 2013 SEN snapshot against the approximate school age resident population of around 47,000 in Haringey, where around 4% of children were identified with a SEN / psychologist history. Although this is only an estimate based on 2013 figures it does demonstrate that the gang-involved cohort are disproportionately identified as having a SEN and requiring intervention from educational psychologists. A snapshot of the statements of SEN of the gangs cohort has been examined and the following common themes identified: a high proportion of individuals excluded from school, low self esteem and confidence, delayed language skills, easily distracted, impulsiveand finds it difficult to reflect on own behaviour.

Fatal stabbings surge to highest level in 70 years
February 7 2019read …
Fatal stabbings are at their highest level in more than 70 years following an upsurge of knife crime in England and Wales, according to figures published today.
There were 285 killings by a knife or sharp instrument in the year to last March, up 73 on the previous year.
The figure was the highest number since the homicide index compiled by the Home Office began in 1946, with attacks involving you men “most pronounced”, the Office for National Statistics said.
Seventy victims were black, representing a quarter of all knife-crime fatalities, the highest proportion and the highest number of black victims since 1997, when the information was first collected.

Knife crime: 1,000 young victims hospitalised last year9 February 2019read ...
More than 1,000 10 to 19-year-olds were admitted to hospital with knife wounds in 2017/18.
The figure, from NHS England, reveal a 54% rise in the number of children and teenagers treated for injuries from knives over five years.
It comes as a leading consultant warns that she is seeing increasing numbers of girls involved in knife crime.
Doctors also said that injuries were becoming more severe and victims getting younger

Waltham Forest named London's first Borough of Culture27 February 2018read …
Waltham Forest has won a £1.35 million competition to be named the first Borough of Culture — thanks to plans including a laser light show and an Alfred Hitchcock festival.

Council's schools lose highest percentage of pupils before exams nationally
12 November 2018 read …
Waltham Forest is losing the highest percentage of its pupils right before exam season of any other local authority in the UK.
Between 2017 and 2018, the council’s schools lost 5.27 per cent of their pupils in the year before their GCSEs, the highest percentage of any council in the country.
Some of these children are said to have moved to home education, others to specialist schools and others to pupil referral units.
But the national Guardian newspaper has reported there are also fears that struggling students are being struck off registers to maintain schools’ league table positions, in a tactic known as “offrolling”.

Middle-class cocaine users fuelling the drug trade, says Met chief
31 July 2018 read …
Cressida Dick criticises people with progressive politics whose drug use fuels violence. Her criticisms of middle-class drug users echoed those of the London mayor, Sadiq Khan.
Cocaine was used by an estimated 875,000 people in 2017-18 according to the latest crime survey for England and Wales – the highest number in a decade and a 15% year-on-year rise.

Tribalism - Waltham Forest, Beacon Borough of Culture

Former police chief attacks Borough of Culture event in area where teenager was murdered
11 January 2019
read ...
Leroy Logan, a former Metropolitan Police superintendent and gang outreach worker has questioned the timing and spending on a cultural festival in the London borough where a 14-year-old boy was hunted down and murdered by a gang.
Leroy Logan, said the cash would have been better spent on tackling gang culture.
The entire event is expected to cost more than £2m, most of it from the taxpayer.

London Borough of Culture team defends celebrations in week of local boy’s murder
12 January 2019read ... “A lot of the young people we have spoken to while making this film said they had nothing to lo ok forward to,” said Jessica Hudsley, the project manager.“It is the same story in many urban areas.Knife crime does not happen in isolation, it links to what is going on in the wider community. Our film reflects these issues, from house prices and gentrification to food banks. It is very important to talk about these things together.”

Walthamstow MP on Jayden’s death
12 Januaryu 2019
read …
Stella Creasy made an emotional plea in Parliament following the murder of a 14-year-old boy.
She asked the leader of the house about additional policing resources at the House of Commons on Thursday after Jayden Moodie was fatally stabbed on Bickley Road, near Leyton.
She said: “Jayden Moodie was a 14-year-old little boy who was mown down by thugs in my constituency on Tuesday night and stabbed to death. “He is the sixth child that my community has had to bury in the last 18 months.
She commented that the concerns regarding policing was shared by the MPs for Gedling, Wanstead and Leyton.
The MP referenced the number of tragedies involving children excluded from schools: “young people that are being written off.”

Black youth, exclusion and gang violenceFrom Reluctant Gangsters, John Pitts 2007 read ...
In 2007, responding to rising black youth gang violence in the borough, Waltham Forest Council published a report - Reluctant Gangsters, authored by John Pitts
Pitts said: “It appears that gang-affected families don’t feel that their concerns are represented, or their predicament understood, by politicians and policy makers. As far as they are concerned we don’t exist, and even if we do, we are just some kind of problem that won’t go away.”
In April 2017, gang warfare became 'embedded in Waltham Forest culture’ and police recorded an average of one gang related knife crime every day by black youths. Studies found that gang violence was driven by a desire to profit from the drugs trade, which was blamed on white middle class cocaine users.

Archbishop of Canterbury urges UK to forget tribalism in Christmas sermonread …
25 December 2018
The Archbishop of Canterbury has urged the UK to forget the "languages of hatred, tribalism [and] rivalry" in his Christmas Day sermon.
The Most Reverend Justin Welby told his congregation to aim for peace and unity at a time of challenge and discord.
While he did not specifically mention the UK's political future, he stressed the importance of the language of love replacing the language of conflict.
"God's language of love is exclusive," he said at Canterbury Cathedral.

Brain scans show social exclusion creates jihadists, say researchers
6 Jan 2019 read ...
International studies of young Muslim men show that radicalisation follows a sense of isolation from society
University College London (UCL) researchers were part of an international team that used neuroimaging techniques to map how the brains of radicalised individuals respond to being socially marginalised. The findings, they claim, confirm that exclusion is a leading factor in creating violent jihadists.
The research challenges the prevailing belief among western policymakers that other variables, such as poverty, religious conservatism and even psychosis, are dominant drivers of jihadism. “This finally dispels such wrongheaded ideas,” said the study’s co-lead author, Nafees Hamid of UCL. “The first ever neuroimaging study on a radicalised population shows extreme pro-group behaviour seems to intensify after social exclusion.”
The findings, they claim, confirm that exclusion is a leading factor in creating violent jihadists.
The research challenges the prevailing belief among western policymakers that other variables, such as poverty, religious conservatism and even psychosis, are dominant drivers of jihadism. “This finally dispels such wrongheaded ideas,” said the study’s co-lead author, Nafees Hamid of UCL. “The first ever neuroimaging study on a radicalised population shows extreme pro-group behaviour seems to intensify after social exclusion.”

British Muslims feel ‘counted out’ of mainstream society, says Baroness Warsi
01 September 2017read …
A lawyer, Baroness Warsi, who was previously a minister in the Foreign Office, and Minister for Faith and Communities in the Coalition Gov­ernment, said that, despite some signs of progress, “I still feel like every day I’m having to face a loyalty test.”
Despite the presence of young, well-integrated Muslims in popular culture, such as the pop star Zayn Malik, or the winner of The Great British Bake Off, Nadiya Hussain, Muslims were still “sick to death of being counted out” of mainstream society.
Fewer than a tenth of one per cent of the three million Muslims living in the UK had anything to do with jihadism, she said, and yet the Government’s engagement with this diverse community was seen solely through the prism of counter-terrorism.
“There are far more Muslim doc­tors in the NHS than there are Muslim terrorists,” she said. “We are more likely to be life-savers rather than life-takers. This policy of disengagement is fundamentally wrong.”

New Year message - If you do not support Brexit, we have ways and means ...

Back my deal - then we can fix the UK: Theresa May's New Year message1 January 2019
read …Theresa May used her New Year message to urge MPs to support her deal. She claims there will be more money for the NHS under her deal. Andrea Leadsom also urged MPs to back May's divisive withdrawal agreement

It would be "sensible" not to appoint menEnvironment Secretary Andrea Leadsom: Men should not be nannies because they may be paedophiles
14 July 2016 read ...
Andrea Leadsom has suggested men should not be hired to look after young children because they may be paedophiles.
During a discussion on the challenges faced by parents, the newly-appointed Environment Secretary said it would be "sensible" not to appoint males for childcare duties"

UK state pension liabilities £4trillion – equal to 213% of GDP

UK pension liabilities grew by £1trn in five years
7 March 2018read …The UK’s gross pension liability across workplace and state provision grew by £1trn (€1.1trn) in five years, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The total liability hit £7.6trn at the end of 2015, the ONS said, up from £6.6trn in 2010.
The total included an estimated £4trn of unfunded liabilities linked to the UK’s state pension – equal to 213% of GDP.
Other unfunded public sector pension liabilities – including provision for teachers and National Health Service staff – totalled £917bn. The Local Government Pension Scheme, a funded defined benefit (DB) scheme, had roughly £300bn of liabilities.

Warning: taxpayers may be forced to bail out councils such as Waltham Forest due to 'weak' pension funds.
19 December 2014read ... There is “serious weakness” in the pension fund for public sector workers in Waltham Forest which is likely to get worse, according to a report by an influential think-tank.
The Centre for Policy Studies has highlighted the authority is one of 89 across the country in danger of being unable to meet its liabilities, raising the possibility of a bail-out by taxpayers. The think-tank’s research found just 60 per cent of Waltham Forest council’s fund is covered by current contributions.
It says the deficit is likely to widen as increasing numbers retire due to an aging population and fewer staff are recruited.
CPS Case Study: The Local Government Pension Scheme

Remarkable' decline in fertility rates
9 November 2018read ...
There has been a remarkable global decline in the number of children women are having, say researchers.
Their report found fertility rate falls meant nearly half of countries were now facing a "baby bust" - meaning there are insufficient children to maintain their population size.
The researchers said the findings were a "huge surprise".
And there would be profound consequences for societies with "more grandparents than grandchildren".
How big has the fall been?
The study, published in the Lancet, followed trends in every country from 1950 to 2017.
In 1950, women were having an average of 4.7 children in their lifetime. The fertility rate all but halved to 2.4 children per woman by last year.
But that masks huge variation between nations.
The fertility rate in Niger, west Africa, is 7.1, but in the Mediterranean island of Cyprus women are having one child, on average.

Catholic Lite and Europe’s Demographic Suicide
by George Weigel read ...
Europe is committing demographic suicide, systematically depopulating itself in what British historian Niall Ferguson has called “the greatest sustained reduction in European population since the Black Death in the fourteenth century.”
This unwillingness to create the future in the most elemental sense, by creating new generations, is at the root of many of Europe’s problems, including its difficulties assimilating immigrants and its fiscal distress.
When an entire continent—healthier, wealthier, and more secure than ever before—deliberately chooses sterility, the most basic cause for that must lie in the realm of the human spirit, in a certain souring about the very mystery of being.

Pride in Waltham Forest
Why it’s time for Waltham Forest’s first Pride event
13 July 2018read …
Late last year there were two violent homophobic attacks in Walthamstow – with gay men punched and told “you are not welcome”.
This is against the backdrop of a soaring number of attacks on lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Britain – a near 80 per cent rise in the past four years. Two in five trans people have experienced a hate crime or incident based on their gender identity in the last 12 months.

Queen Elizabeth breaks silence on Brexit — in a very queen-like wayOctober 24, 2018read …
For the first time since the 2016 Brexit vote, Queen Elizabeth II has spoken out about the contentious issue of Britain’s upcoming exit from the European Union.
But she did it in an uncontentious way. This queen doesn’t do politics. That’s the key to her staying power: She rules by not ruling.
And so it was that on Tuesday evening, she referred to Brexit in an oblique way. She told the king and queen of the Netherlands that Britain is looking “toward a new partnership with Europe” and that shared values between Britain and Europe are “our greatest asset.”

Plan to evacuate the Queen after a no-deal Brexit
February 3 2019, read ...
Whitehall has drawn up secret plans to evacuate the Queen in the event of riots following a no-deal BrexitThe evacuation plan dates from the Cold War but is being updated amid fears that the Queen’s position is being ‘dangerously politicised’
The Queen and other senior royals will be evacuated from London in the event of riots triggered by a no-deal Brexit, under secret plans being drawn up by Whitehall.
Emergency proposals to rescue the royal family during the Cold War have been “repurposed” in recent weeks, as the risk continues to rise of the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal before next month’s deadline.
The plans, which were originally intended to be put into action in the event of a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union, would see the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh moved out of London to a secret location, which The Sunday Times has agreed not to disclose.

Good Governance!

Our elders are supposed to be older and wiser. But not these Brexit clowns 21 December 2018read …
Parliament seems hellbent on frittering away my generation’s future – while destroying young people’s faith in politics
Lara Spirit Former chairman, Association of Independent Showmen and a former chief clown with Zippos circus: "Please don’t compare politicians to us."

Even the clowns object!
David Konyo read …
Please stop misusing the word ‘clown’ I am deeply offended by the misuse and misrepresentation of “clown” :

Chaos in row over who said what.

MPs told to clean up their act
No more vomitOctober 6 2018,read …
Commons cleaning staff have complained about having to tidy up after the ‘debauchery’ that goes on in some offices
Cleaners at the House of Commons are tired of finding used condoms and other debris in the offices of MPsHeshphoto/Getty Images
MPs will be warned about their conduct after cleaners complained of finding used condoms and vomit in their Westminster offices.
David Natzler, the clerk of the House of Commons, is among those said to have received reports from disgusted cleaners forced to clear up the debris left by partying MPs and their staff.
The Commons authorities are considering plans to introduce a new service agreement to force MPs and their staff to adhere to strict new rules about the appropriate use of their workspace. Failure to comply would result in sanctions being imposed against the worst culprits, according to a senior source familiar with the discussions.

Britons undermining the country through 'extreme EU loyalty' must be tried for treason, says Tory MEP
27 July 2018read …
British people undermining the country through “extreme EU loyalty” must be tried for treason, a Tory MEP says.
David Campbell Bannerman has been accused of “putting the knife into free speech” after demanding the revival of an archaic law to prosecute strong allegiance to the EU.
“It is about time we brought the Treason Act up to date and made it apply to those seeking to destroy or undermine the British state,” he tweeted.

Jacob - You are no Brunel. He built bridges. You destroy them!

Jacob Rees-Mogg says we should ignore the CBI on Brexit: 'They have got everything wrong in their history
12 July 2018 read …
Leading Brexiteer weighs into row with business over the economic impact of leaving the EU
Jacob Rees-Mogg has urged the government to ignore the voice of business leaders as they have “got everything wrong in the whole of their history”.
He said, "vested interests" were colouring the views of major firms, which wanted to protect themselves from tariffs on their goods.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel1806 - 1859read ...
Brunel was one of the most versatile and audacious engineers of the 19th century, responsible for the design of tunnels, bridges, railway lines and ships.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born on 9 April 1806 in Portsmouth.
His father Mark was a French engineer who had fled France during the revolution. Brunel was educated both in England and in France.

CBI chief: "a tidal wave of ideology"

CBI chief: Car firms face Brexit extinction13 June 2018 read ...
Sections of the UK car industry face extinction unless the UK stays in the EU customs union, the president of the CBI has said.
Paul Dreschler also said there was "zero evidence" that trade deals outside the EU would provide any economic benefit to Britain.
He blamed a "tidal wave of ideology" for the government's Brexit approach.

Patrick Stewart - European Union

Patrick Stewart, speaks about the importance of the European Union and how it has been an integral part of his life.

What has Europe
ever done for us?

Studying in Europe
Studying at a university in Europe can be a life changing experience. It could be cheaper, another language can be learned, and, with a EU university qualification,
it could be easier to find work with new skills in
any one of a number of EU countries.
EURES - Job Mobility PortalPloteus - Learning opportunitiesEurope Direct - Help for EU Citizens
Contact by telephone, email or letter
Tel: 00 800 67 89 10 11 - no call charge

A salutary warning

I don't feel welcome

I don't feel welcome anymore
24 August 2017 read …
“I don’t feel welcome here anymore,” says Lukasz, a Polish man who has lived in the UK since he was eight years old. “It’s like staying at someone’s house and you definitely outstayed your welcome – that’s how I feel.” The 28-year-old is one of thousands of European citizens considering leaving Britain because of last year’s vote for Brexit.

Jewish Labour MP 'feels unwelcome'read …
A Jewish Labour MP says she feels "unwelcome" in the party after a video emerged showing Jeremy Corbyn accusing British Zionists of having "no sense of English irony".
Liverpool Wavertree MP Luciana Berger described the Labour leader's comments in a 2013 speech as "inexcusable".
The clip was published on the Daily Mail website as Mr Corbyn makes efforts to tackle anti-Semitism in his party.

The nuclear option

Super-hard Brexit - Fear not, there is a plan
2 April 2017 read … Civil servants acknowledged the atomic bomb plan could convert the tunnel into a mortar firing nuclear explosives into Kent and Calais, but reasoned it would be "100 per cent effective" at destroying our only physical link with France. It wasn't the first - or last - time that Channel tunnel plans showed how Britain's relationship with the rest of Europe has rarely been straightforward.

UK threatens to return radioactive waste to EU without nuclear deal
19 July 2017 read …
Nuclear experts who have advised the British government:on brexit:“It might just be a reminder that a boatload of plutonium could end up at a harbour in Antwerp unless an arrangement is made,” one nuclear expert told the FT.
EU diplomats told the FT that they had noted the veiled threat on nuclear waste. One reportedly joked that they would have “the coastguard ready”.

Philip Hammond calls EU 'the enemy' in extraordinary outburst
13 October 2017read …
Chancellor Philip Hammond has referred to the EU as "the enemy" in Brexit negotiations, in an extraordinary outburst likely to cause major divisions with European leaders.
Mr Hammond urged Tory colleagues to stop squabbling and to unite against the EU to secure the best withdrawal deal for Britain

Calls for UK to rejoin EU 'should be treason', urges Tory petition
17 October 2016read …
A Conservative councillor from Surrey has been suspended after launched a petition calling for Victorian-era legislation to be amended to make supporting UK membership of the EU a treasonable offence.
Christian Holliday added the petition to the UK Government and Parliament website, and it calls for:
The Treason Felony Act be amended to include the following offences: ‘To imagine, devise, promote, work, or encourage others, to support UK becoming a member of the European Union;
To conspire with foreign powers to make the UK, or part of the UK, become a member of the EU.
The petition goes on to say:
It is becoming clear that many politicians and others are unwilling to accept the democratic decision of the British people to leave the EU. Brexit must not be put at risk in the years and decades ahead. For this reason we the undersigned request that the Treason Felony Act be amended as set out in this petition.

Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union

What has the ECHR ever done for us?

The old dream of the past - the young, of their future

UK government seems to have stopped.During the referendum campaign
...
Politicians on all sides predict the future after in or out of Europe with Rasputin like certainty.
Political activists, once friends, are pitted against each other in a merciless slanging match. Insults are exchanged between once firm political allies and friends with wild assertions and character assassinations.
How can the UK be effectively governed with this kind of behaviour by our elected representatives?

Campaign – a poem by Carol Ann Duffy exclusively for the Guardianread …
Britain’s poet laureate responds to the general election result in a work written for the Guardian
In which her body was a question-mark
querying her lies; her mouth a ballot-box that bit the hand that fed. Her eyes? They swivelled for a jackpot win. Her heart was a stolen purse;
her rhetoric an empty vicarage, the windows smashed.
Then her feet grew sharp stilettos, awkward.
Then she had balls, believe it.
When she woke,
her nose was bloody, difficult.
The furious young
ran towards her through the fields of wheat.

Violent crime up 18% in England and Wales
20 July 2017 read ...
Crime in England and Wales has seen its largest annual rise in a decade, according to the Office for National Statistics.
The total number of crimes reported to and recorded by the police rose by 10% between April 2016 and March 2017 to almost five million.
Violent crime was up by 18%, robbery by 16% and sex offences by 14%.
Yet the Crime Survey of England and Wales, based on people's experiences of crime, showed a 7% drop.
The Crime Survey is always published on the same day as the ONS figures. Its results are based on a face-to-face survey of 38,000 adults and children in which they are asked about their experiences of crime in the previous year - which means it does include crimes that are never reported to the police.

Hate crimes in schools soared during EU referendum campaign, study claims
5 May 2017 read …
Police saw a spike in hate crimes at schools during the EU referendum, new figures reveal.
In May alone – the month before the referendum was held – saw a staggering 89 per cent hike in police reports compared to the same month in 2015.
An increase of 48 per cent in reported hate crimes and incidents were seen during last year’s summer and autumn terms, the investigation by the Times Educational Supplement (TES) claimed.
Robert Posner, chief executive of the Anne Frank Trust UK, which runs a scheme tackling prejudice-related behaviour among young people, told the TES that the charity had heard more "disparaging" comments about refugees during workshops since the referendum.
"Language that we might consider to be either racist or prejudiced has become more normal and more accepted recently," he said.

'Record hate crimes' after EU referendum
15 February 2017read …
A majority of police forces in England and Wales saw record levels of hate crimes in the first full three months following the EU referendum, according to new analysis.
More than 14,000 hate crimes were recorded between July and September.
In 10 forces the number of suspected hate crimes increased by more than 50%, compared to the previous three months.

Ambassador to EU quits and warns staff over 'muddled thinking'
3 January 2017read ...
Britain’s ambassador to the European Union Sir Ivan Rogers dealt a blow to the UK’s Brexit negotiations by quitting and urging his fellow British civil servants in Brussels to assert their independence by challenging “ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking”.
Sir Ivan Rogers says negotiating experience is in ‘short supply’ and that politicians disliked his warnings of pitfalls in his resignation email

Brexit: English language 'losing importance' - EU's Juncker
6 May 2017read …
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has told a conference on the EU that "English is losing importance in Europe".
He was speaking in Florence, Italy, amid tensions with the UK government over looming Brexit negotiations.
"Slowly but surely English is losing importance in Europe and also because France has an election," he said, explaining his choice of French.
He called the UK decision to leave the EU "a tragedy".

Brexit: EU demands 'serious UK response' on citizens' rights
29 April 2017read …
European Council President Donald Tusk has called on the UK to come up with a "serious response" on what will happen to EU citizens in Britain after Brexit.
"We need guarantees," he said in Brussels as 27 EU leaders backed the bloc's Brexit negotiating guidelines.
The rights of EU citizens to live, work and study in the UK is one of three topics they want dealt with in the first phase of Brexit talks
Negotiations will start after the UK election on 8 June.
Mr Tusk put citizens' rights centre stage at a news conference after EU leaders - minus UK PM Theresa May - nodded through the guidelines in a matter of minutes.
"Over the past weeks, we have repeatedly heard from our British friends, also during my visit in London, that they are ready to agree on this issue quickly," he said.
"But I would like to state very clearly that we need real guarantees for our people to live, work and study in the UK.
"The same goes for the Brits," living on the European continent, he continued.

Fight breaks out between two women ahead of UKIP leader visit to Hartlepool29 April 2017read …
A fight broke out between two women at a mini-rally of UKIP supporters in Hartlepool today where Paul Nuttall, the UKIP leader, announced he will contest the Lincolnshire seat of Boston and Skegness in the General Election,
The two women, who have since been arrested, were photographed scratching and grabbing each other outside a pub in the town in County Durham. Mr Nuttall cancelled a rally as a result of the fight
Witnesses said one was a Ukip supporter and one was a Remainer, however Ukip and a Remain campaign group have both denied these claims.

Ukip MEP altercation between Steven Woolfe and Mike Hookem referred to police by European parliament president
26 October 2016read …
Ukip’s troubles have deepened after two of its MEPs were referred to the French police over a fight, following which one of them needed urgent hospital treatment.
European Parliament President Martin Schulz said he would call in the "French authorities" over the incident, in the wake of which leadership frontrunner Steven Woolfe said he would quit the party

Labour MP Jo Cox dies after being shot and stabbed as husband urges people to 'fight against the hate' that killed her 17 June 2016read ...
On a dark day for democracy, Mrs Cox, a 41-year-old mother of two, was shot three times and repeatedly stabbed by a killer screaming “Britain first”.
The first murder of an MP for more than a quarter of a century prompted widespread revulsion and led to the suspension of campaigning for the EU referendum.

United Kingdom European Movementread ...
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair on Friday urged people to unite and rise up against a Brexit that is plunging the country into an era of uncertainty on the back of a campaign run on lies.
The widely covered speech has sparked a considerable amount of reaction but one thing is certain - if we're going to work to reverse a disastrous Brexit we must do it together.
The public deserve an opporunity to change their minds given the government has announced what Brexit will actually mean; and whether it's through a referendum or general election, we'll be fighting to give them that chance.

The Man Who Would Be King

Who are you Mr President? Nigel Farage asks Van Rompuy

I’m the Mayor of London

I'm Out and Proud

Isle of Wight MP steps down after 'gay danger remark'
28 April 2017read …
An MP is standing down after reportedly telling students that homosexuality was "wrong" and "dangerous to society
Andrew Turner, the Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, was said to have made the remarks on a visit to a college in Newport
They were quickly posted on social media by one of the students, Esther Poucher, 16, who expressed "outrage".
Mr Turner announced he would stand down five hours after Ms Poucher's Facebook post.
He said: "After 16 years I have come to the decision that it is time for a new generation to take up the mantle of representing my fantastic constituents."

‘Brexit – if it is the kind of cutting 'red tape' Brexit that PM Theresa May has suggested – could indeed give powerful companies more leverage against consumers, patients and citizens’

Brexit: Lawyers warn of industry influence over public health laws as EU 'fundamental right' is axed Tuesday 2 May 2017 read …
People in Britain risk losing their “fundamental right to health” after Brexit, a barrister and public health professor have warned.
The Government’s white paper on the Great Repeal Bill says the charter, which sets out the rights and freedoms of EU citizens, will not be converted into UK law.
The document was published the day after Theresa May started the Brexit process by triggering Article 50 and contains proposals as to how the country will function after the UK has left the European Union.
The right to health, as set out in article 35 of the charter, was used in cases at the EU Court of Justice and the High Court in London to counteract tobacco industry arguments that the new plain packaging legislation was in violation of its rights.
Mr Roderick, a lawyer and principal research associate at Newcastle University, and Professor Pollock, the institute’s director, said currently exisiting public health laws introduced after Brexit would have to be interpreted “without the charter’s protections”.
They added that the ECHR protects many civil and political rights through the Human Rights Act, but does not include the “economic and social rights” such as the fundamental right to health.
“The real protections for public health and inequalities that the charter represents will be set aside if the present government is re-elected in June and its plan to ditch the charter goes ahead,” they warned.

Fall in jobseekers sparks fears of Brexit skills gap
Weak pound and immigration uncertainty blamed for slump
May 9 2017read …
Photo: An NHS surgical team drawn from around the European Union. The nursing and medical sectors are reporting the strongest demand for staff
The number of candidates available for jobs has hit a 16-month low, prompting fears that Brexit has triggered a skills shortage in areas ranging from IT to engineering to nursing.
There was the steepest fall in availability for permanent and temporary roles in April since December 2015, according to a report from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.
Kevin Green, chief executive, said that the weakness in the pound after last year’s referendum and concern over future immigration arrangements were making people reluctant to move jobs. The organisation said that recruiters complained of shortages of applicants for more than 60 different roles.

Public Health, Gangnam Style

Waltham Forest Council launches review on dementia care services

Waltham Forest Council launches review on dementia care services amid rising demand28th December 2017read ..
Waltham Forest Council is set to launch a review of its dementia care services in a bid to cope with increasing demand.
Cllr Angie Bean, cabinet member for adult services, said: “We want to provide the most comprehensive support for all residents, their families and carers through each phase of the condition.
"We invite all carers and residents to share their views on what they need, so we can improve our services for all those touched by dementia.”
The six week consultation will begin at 9am on January 2, and will close at 23.59pm on February 13. Residents, families and carers can take part online by visiting https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/content/dss-consultation-information-pack, or by completing a paper form available by calling: 0208 4963000.

'Orwellian' when we cease to care!

Patients visiting NHS will have to say if they are GAY under 'Orwellian' new plans
15 October, 2017read …
ANYONE visiting the NHS for a doctor or hospital appointment will have to disclose their sexuality under “Orwellian” new rules, an official NHS document revealed.
As of April 2019, anyone aged over 16 will have to say whether they are gay, straight or bisexual.
NHS England refused to give details about how the information will be collected and there are fears that patients may be quizzed by GPs, nurses or even receptionists.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said: “It sounds intrusive and Orwellian.”

NHS 'haemorrhaging' nurses
17 January 2018read ...
The NHS is "haemorrhaging" nurses with one in 10 now leaving the NHS in England each year, figures show.
More than 33,000 walked away last year, piling pressure on understaffed hospitals and community services.
Nurse leaders said it was a "dangerous and downward spiral", but NHS bosses said the problem was being tackled.
The figures have been compiled as part of an in-depth look at nursing by the BBC.

Politicians are jumping on trans bandwagon without thinking21 October 2017read …
On Wednesday night the Prime Minister affirmed her commitment to making gender a matter of self-declaration.
To change one’s gender currently, you need a medical diagnosis and to have lived as your preferred gender for two years. Under new laws, you will simply declare yourself whatever you like. No surgical reassignment. No medical certificate. No hormones. You can live as a man but be recognised as a woman, with access to women’s toilets, changing rooms and refuges.
New legislation will make all this easier. It will also undermine the monitoring of sex-based discrimination by obscuring the categories “male” and “female”. Sporting bodies will come under more pressure to allow male-bodied “women” into women’s sports.

Don't offer your seat on trains and buses to the elderly - standing up is good for them, claims Oxford professor
18 October 2017
read ...
Oxford professor Sir Muir Gray, who is clinical adviser to Public Health England, said pensioners must 'play their part' in keeping active to avoid becoming a burden to the NHS.
Giving up a bus or train seat to the elderly could harm their health, a medical expert has warned.
Standing up is good for the elderly and we should not be encouraging them to be less active.
Relatives should also urge their loves ones to take stairs rather than lifts or escalators and walk to the shops with their bags.

I'm out and I'm Proud

Pre-sex HIV drug 'no-brainer' for NHS
18 |October 2017read …
A drug to dramatically cut the risk of HIV infection during sex would save the UK around £1bn over the next 80 years, say scientists.
The team at University College London says Prep, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a "no-brainer" for the NHS.
The study predicts that giving Prep to men who have sex with men would prevent one in four HIV cases.
NHS England is currently funding a trial of Prep in 10,000 patients, but does not offer the treatment routinely.
Prep is already available in Scotland. The health service in England fought against paying for Prep in the courts, but agreed to trialling it in selected clinics.

NHS patients to be asked about sexuality
15 October 2017
read ...
Health professionals in England are to be told to ask patients aged 16 or over about their sexual orientation, under new NHS guidelines.

GLADD, the Association of LGBT Doctors and Dentists.https://www.gladd.co.uk/
GLADD have a wide range of members in the medical and dental professions - from students right up to professors - all specialities - right across the country.

Sigma ResearchSigma Gay Men's Sex Survey
Some brief Waltham Forest results of the MSM survey:
51.6% of gay men in WF were not happy with their sex life -#8
21.1% had never been tested for HIV -#9
23.8% had been tested positive for HIV -#11
53.4% had sex within previous 7 days -#21
64.8% said nothing about their HIV status before having sex with a non steady partner -#23
71.0% had more than one
anal/vaginal intercourse
partner in the last 12
months -#24
41.6% had anal sex w/o using a condom within last 6 months -#25
.8% experienced homophobic physcal abuse within
the last
6
months -#28

Oral sex producing unstoppable bacteria
8 July 2017 read …
Oral sex is producing dangerous gonorrhoea and a decline in condom use is helping it to spread, the World Health Organization says.
It is warning that if you contract gonorrhoea, it is now much harder to treat and in some cases impossible.
The sexually transmitted infection is rapidly developing resistance to antibiotics.
Experts said the situation was "fairly grim" with few new drugs on the horizon.
Prof Richard Stabler, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said,:
"In the past 15 years therapy has had to change three times following increasing rates of resistance worldwide.
"We are now at a point where we are using the drugs of last resort, but there are worrying signs as treatment failure due to resistant strains has been documented."

New STI figures show rapid increases among gay men23 June 2015read ...

HIV 'game-changer' now on NHS
4 December 2016read ...
The health service lost a court battle in the summer after arguing responsibility for paying for it should fall to local authorities not the NHS.
Now at least 10,000 people will be given the "Prep" drug in a three-year-long clinical trial.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis or Prep is a daily pill that disables HIV before it gets a stranglehold in the body.
It costs £400 a month per person and trials suggest it can cut the risk of being infected by up to 86%.
Dr Ian Williams, chairman of NHS England's group on HIV, said: "For now, the trial will provide access to Prep for thousands of people most at risk of acquiring HIV."
Men who have sex with men are one of the groups at the highest risk of contracting HIV.
In London, one in eight gay men has HIV, while the proportion in the rest of the UK is one in 26.

Teaching - Gangnam Style

Warning over state of teachers' mental health
26 March 2016read ...One in 10 teachers say they have been prescribed anti-depressant drugs to cope with the pressure of their jobs, says a teachers' union survey.
The NASUWT survey of over 5,000 teachers found 22% had increased their alcohol intake and 21% had consumed more caffeine in response to stress.
The poll found 7% had used or increased their reliance on prescription drugs.

Teacher Kato Harris warns men to avoid profession
16 April 2017 read …
A geography teacher at an all-girls school in London has warned men not to become teachers after a false allegation of rape shattered his career. He was cleared of the allegation by a jury after a trial last year.
In an interview he told the newspaper: "I would certainly advocate that no man qualify as a teacher. It is just not worth it. What is the lesson here? There is nothing to protect the male teacher."

Poverty, Health Inequality and the NHS

NHS staff 'quitting to work in supermarkets because of poor pay'
8 May 2017read ...
Policy of limiting rises to 1% is damaging health service and must not be pursued into next parliament, say NHS leaders
NHS staff are quitting to stack shelves in supermarkets instead of caring for patients because they are so demoralised by years of getting pay rises of only 1% or nothing, hospital bosses have warned.
The health service is now so understaffed that patient safety is being put at risk and people with mental health problems are experiencing delays and setbacks as a result, NHS leaders say.
The intervention in the general election campaign comes from NHS Providers, which represents almost all of England’s 240 NHS hospital, mental health and ambulance trusts. They told ministers bluntly on Monday that the government’s longstanding policy of holding down NHS staff pay is wrong and is damaging the service by deepening its already severe staff shortages.

'Crippling' national shortage of medics that has forced the NHS to recruit 6,000 foreign doctors
9 April 2016 read ...
Almost 800 straight-A British students are being denied a place at medical school despite a 'crippling' national shortage of medics that has forced the NHS to recruit 6,000 foreign doctors
The Government says it takes £230,000 to fully train each doctor in the UK because of the higher costs of delivering medical education, and critics claim the number of places available at universities is capped to save taxpayers’ money.
That means one in five of straight-A students failed in their application to study at a British medical school last year, according to university applications body UCAS.
As a result, some of the brightest British students are having to train abroad after failing to get into UK universities.

Social care system 'beginning to collapse' as 900 carers quit every day
11 April 2017read …
Service providers warn that growing staff shortages mean vulnerable people are receiving poorer levels of care.
In a letter to the prime minister, the chairman of the UK Homecare Association said the adult social care system - which applies to those over the age of 18 - has begun to collapse.
An ageing population means demand is increasing for adult social care services.
Those who provide care to people directly in their own homes, or in nursing homes, say a growing shortage of staff means people face receiving deteriorating levels of care.
"You just can't provide a consistent level of care if you have to keep recruiting new people", said Sue Gregory, who has been a care home nurse in North Yorkshire for 13 years.

Britain is sick man of Europe as life expectancy trails continent.
Expert calls for action on ‘urgent and deepening health problems
11 September 2017 read …
One of the world’s leading experts has demanded government action over “urgent and deepening problems with the nation’s health”, as he reveals that the rest of Europe is living ever longer while progress in Britain has stalled.
Sir Michael Marmot is calling for an immediate investigation into why a century of lengthening lives has come to an end, which he argues is fundamentally more important than the threat of a bed shortage in the NHS. He raised the alarm in July over static life expectancies.

The Black Report, Wikipedia1980read ...
It was demonstrated that although overall health had improved since the introduction of the welfare state, there were widespread health inequalities. It also found that the main cause of these inequalities was economic inequality.
These findings and recommendations were virtually disowned by the then Secretary of State for Social Services, very few copies of the Report were printed, and few people had the opportunity to read it.

Inequalities in health. The Black Report: a summary and comment.read ...
In August 1980 the United Kingdom Department of Health and Social Security published the Report of the Working Group on Inequalities in Health, also known as the Black Report (after chairman Sir Douglas Black, President of the Royal College of Physicians).
The Report showed in great detail the extent of which ill-health and death are unequally distributed among the population of Britain, and suggested that these inequalities have been widening rather than diminishing since the establishment of the National Health Service in 1948.

This Report addresses an issue which is fundamentally a matter of social justice; We mention in particular
Sir Douglas Black's ground breaking report "Inequalities in Health".
It has become clear that the range of factors influencing inequalities in health extends far beyond the remit of the Department of Health and that a response by the Government as a whole will be needed to deal with them.
It is now for the Government to decide the rate of
implementation and the affordability of our recommendations.

Summary
The Report recommended a wide strategy of social policy measures to combat inequalities in health.

These findings and recommendations were virtually disowned by the then Secretary of State for Social Services, very few copies of the Report were printed, and few people had the opportunity to read it.

Synopsis
There are three areas which we regard as crucial:

all policies likely to have an impact on health should be evaluated in terms of their impact on health inequalities;

a high priority should be given to the health of families with children;

further steps should be taken to reduce income inequalities and improve the living standards of poor households.

The Impoverishment of the UK
23 Nov 2014read ...
Poverty and Social Exclusion report reveals impoverished nation
A stark picture of the levels and extent of deprivation in the UK today is revealed in the Poverty and Social Exclusion (PSE) first report ‘The Impoverishment of the UK’. The research finds that for a significant proportion of the population their living standards fall below minimum levels and for some, living conditions and opportunities have been going backwards.

NHS Health Check: Nine in 10 hospitals 'overcrowded' this winter
6 February 2017read ...
The number of patients on hospital wards in England has been at unsafe levels at nine out of 10 NHS trusts this winter.
One experienced hospital boss described some of the weeks this winter as the "worst" he had seen in his career.
Meanwhile, patients have been contacting the BBC to report the chaos they have experienced in overcrowded hospitals, including long waits for treatment and operations being cancelled at the last minute.

NHS faces 'humanitarian crisis' as demand rises, British Red Cross warns7 January 2017 read ...
Mike Adamson, chief executive of the British Red Cross, said his organisation was “on the front line”. He said: We are responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country.
We have been called in to support the NHS and help get people home from hospital and free up much needed beds.

The Once-a-Day Pill
which costs £400 a month

NHS told to give out £5,000-a-year lifestyle drug to prevent HIV - as vital cataract surgery is rationed
3 August 2016read ...
The NHS has been told to prescribe a drug to prevent HIV despite concerns it is expensive and could encourage 'sexual risk taking'.
The drug would be given to up to 10,000 gay men who don't have HIV but are at high risk of being infected through unprotected sex. But critics, including one Aids charity, warn it is a strategy 'fraught with dangers'.
They say it could encourage men to have sex with multiple partners without condoms and may even lead to higher HIV rates as it is not 100 per cent effective.

The 13 NHS treatments at risk... because taxpayers face paying for controversial HIV drug
11 November 2016 read ...
Hundreds of people with rare diseases could miss out on vital treatments after the NHS was ordered to consider bankrolling a controversial HIV pill.
Toddlers with cystic fibrosis, deaf children and amputees may now be denied a range of new medical devices and breakthrough drugs.
But yesterday’s Court of Appeal ruling means up to £20million may be diverted to provide pills for those at risk of HIV infection due to their high-risk sex lives, including up to 5,000 gay men. Critics fear it will encourage ‘sexual risk-taking
Up to £20million may be diverted to provide pills for those at risk of HIV infection due to their high-risk sex lives

Cancer treatment stopped to pay for HIV drug
September 18 2016read ...
A senior NHS consultant, a former gynaecologist and a mother of three who all suffer from a rare blood cancer have been denied life-saving stem cell transplant operations because the NHS may be forced to pay for a drug that protects healthy people against HIV.
NHS England decided to reassess their treatments after the High Court ruled last month that it must consider paying for the HIV drug

HIV 'game-changer' now on NHS
4 December 2016read ...
The health service lost a court battle in the summer after arguing responsibility for paying for it should fall to local authorities not the NHS.
Now at least 10,000 people will be given the "Prep" drug in a three-year-long clinical trial.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis or Prep is a daily pill that disables HIV before it gets a stranglehold in the body.
It costs £400 a month per person and trials suggest it can cut the risk of being infected by up to 86%.
Dr Ian Williams, chairman of NHS England's group on HIV, said: "For now, the trial will provide access to Prep for thousands of people most at risk of acquiring HIV."
Men who have sex with men are one of the groups at the highest risk of contracting HIV.
In London, one in eight gay men has HIV, while the proportion in the rest of the UK is one in 26.

National Aids Trusthttp://www.nat.org.uk/
A total of 88,769 people, including 315 children aged under 15, received HIV specialist care in 2015. Over the last decade, the number of people accessing specialist care for HIV has steadily grown.
Over the decade 2006 to 2015, there has been a 73% increase in the number of people accessing HIV care.Men who have sex with men (MSM)
More than half of people newly diagnosed with HIV in 2015 were MSM, despite this group only making up an estimated 2-3% of the male population 3,320 MSM were diagnosed with HIV in 2015, reflecting both an increase in levels of HIV testing as well as ongoing ​new transmissionsEthnicity
The majority of MSM with an HIV diagnosis are of white ethnicity (76%)

Britain’s Spy Chiefs Fly Rainbow Flag To Show LGBT Solidarity
30/06/2015 read ...
It didn’t officially exist until 1994, but the headquarters of Britian’s spy agency has now embraced transparency to such an extent it proudly hoists a rainbow flag to mark gay pride celebrations.
The Sun has reported the MI6’s chief Alex Younger ordered a second pole to be erected alongside the Union flag specifically to show solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) people.
The Secret Intelligence Service, or SIS, has been operation since 1912 but was shrouded in secrecy until 21 years’ ago.
The GCHQ listening post in Cheltenham last month by lighting up its doughnut-shaped headquarters in rainbow colours.

Sigma ResearchSigma Gay Men's Sex Survey
Some brief Waltham Forest results of the MSM survey:
51.6% of gay men in WF were not happy with their sex life -#8
21.1% had never been tested for HIV -#9
23.8% had been tested positive for HIV -#11
53.4% had sex within previous 7 days -#21
64.8% said nothing about their HIV status before having sex with a non steady partner -#23
71.0% had more than one
anal/vaginal intercourse
partner in the last 12
months -#24
41.6% had anal sex w/o using a condom within last 6 months -#25
.8% experienced homophobic physcal abuse within
the last
6
months -#28

Stonewall
Healthcare Equality
Index
2015Improving the health of lesbian, gay and bisexual peopleread ...
Our members know that people perform better when they can be themselves.
TheStonewall Diversity Champions programme is Britain’s good practice employers’
forum on sexual orientation equality and gender identity.

Many parents “feel helpless about their children being exploited and drawn into criminality."

Fifth of 14-year-old girls in UK 'self-harm' read …
More than a fifth of 14-year-old girls in the UK said they had self-harmed, a report suggests.
The Children's Society report said gender stereotypes and worries about looks were contributing to unhappiness.
A survey of 11,000 children found 22% of the girls and 9% of the boys said they had hurt themselves on purpose in the year prior to the questionnaire.
Rates of self-harm were worst (46%) among those who were attracted to people of the same or both genders.

Do more to stop ethnic minority young people falling into crime, says David Lammy report15 September 2017read …
CHURCHES should rise to the challenge of preventing young people from entering the criminal justice system.
Labour MP for Tottenham, David Lammy: Despite making up just 14 per cent of the population, BAME men and women make up 25 per cent of prisoners. His “biggest concern” is with the youth justice system. He notes that, over the last five years 22,000 BAME children have had their names added to the Police National Database, including for minor offences, imperiling their future job prospects.
“Behind many young offenders are adults who either neglect or exploit them,” he writes. “The youth justice systems appear to have given up on parenting.” Last year, just 189 parenting orders were issued. Many parents “feel helpless about their children being exploited and drawn into criminality.”
“The factors behind BAME over-representation begin long before a guilty plea, court appearance, or prison sentence,” Mr Lammy said last week. “Communities must take greater responsibility for the care and development of their people — failing to do so only damages society as a whole

Unmarried men are a 'problem' for society, Chingford and Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan Smith claims
4 October 2017read …
Unmarried men are a “problem” for society and are more likely to get into debt or commit crime, Iain Duncan Smith has claimed.
The Huffington Post reported the former Tory leader told audiences unmarried men are “released” to do things such as commit crime and take drugs.
“What has been going on all these years is the men that have been absent from these families in many of these low income groups are now a problem. “They are out, no longer having to bring something in for their family, so they can be released to do all the things they wouldn’t normally do and shouldn’t do.”

'Every child needs a father'

Pupils as young as four having panic attacks, say teachers
15 April 2017read ...
Children as young as four are suffering from mental health problems such as panic attacks, anxiety and depression, teachers say.
Almost all of the 2,000 who responded to an NASUWT survey said they had come into contact with mentally ill pupils.
The union is highlighting the problem at its annual conference in Manchester this weekend and it will also discuss school funding and the online world.
The survey found:
- 98% of teachers said they had come into contact with pupils who were experiencing mental health issues.
- They were most likely to be teenagers, with more than half of teachers saying they had seen issues in 14 to 16-year-olds.
- But nearly a fifth (18%) of those surveyed by the union said they had been in contact with four to seven-year-olds showing mental health issues while more than a third (35%) had seen problems in youngsters aged seven to 11. Nine in 10 said they had experienced a pupil of any age suffering from anxiety and panic attacks, while 79% were aware of a pupil suffering from depression and 64% knew of a youngster who was self-harming.
Around half (49%) were aware of children with eating disorders, and a similar proportion (47%) knew about a youngster with obsessive compulsive disorder.

Biology of Dads
Jun 2010
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rvv6t
'Every child needs a father' is a phrase heard often enough, but is there any evidence to support it? In this enlightening documentary, child psychologist Laverne Antrobus goes on a quest to discover why a dad's relationship with his offspring is so important. She uncovers fascinating new research which is shedding light onto the science of fatherhood.
Laverne meets a new dad who is experiencing Couvade Syndrome, a condition sometimes known as 'sympathetic pregnancy'. She is keen to explore if the symptoms - which are similar to those felt by pregnant women, such as nausea and sickness - might be physiological as well as psychological. The dad takes a blood test shortly after the birth of his third child and Antrobus discovers that hormones could be the cause of his symptoms: possibly nature's way of 'priming' him to become a more nurturing father.
Laverne then meets one of the UK's leading experts in the father's role within the family. While observing father and toddler play in his lab, she finds out how the rough-and-tumble play they witness is classic 'dad behaviour'. It is believed that this type of fatherly play is essential in teaching toddlers the boundaries of aggression and discipline.
In the final investigation, Antrobus looks into recent research which claims that men who have a good relationship with their daughters can influence the kind of husband the daughters choose. The study also found that girls whose fathers were absent during their formative years tend to reach puberty sooner and age quicker. Laverne recruits a team of married women to take part in one final, fascinating experiment.

Bad parents are to blame for society’s ills, says Ofsted chief: Sir Michael Wilshaw attacks 'hollowed out and fragmented families' 16 October 2013 read ...
Oftsed chief inspector said child abuse and neglect were the product of social breakdown
He said: Parents who fail to teach their children right from wrong are at the root of Britain’s biggest problems,. ‘If we believe that the family is the great educator – and I certainly do believe that – and the community the great support system, then we as a society should worry deeply about the hollowing out and fragmentation of both.’ He said many children were ‘alienated’ from their natural father and that this lay at the root of the wider problems.

'Super-parenting' improves children's autism
25 October 2016read ...
Giving mums and dads the skills to become "super parents" can dramatically improve their child's autism, a long-term study has shown.
In the training, parents watched films of themselves playing with their child while a therapist gave precise tips for helping their child communicate.
"What is remarkable is the pay-off," said Louisa Harrison, who has seen a huge improvement in her son Frank.
Experts said the results, published in the Lancet, were "hugely cheering".

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men” (Frederick Douglass, 1817-1895)
Dr Andrew Rowland: Churchill Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust
25/04/2014 read ...
Frederick Douglass was an African-American statesman who, having escaped from slavery, became a leader of the abolitionist movement and campaigned throughout his life for equality of all people regardless of background, saying, “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong”.
In 1855 Frederick Douglass had a series of dialogues with white slave-owners who could not, or would not, comprehend that slavery was morally wrong and it was during these communications that he wrote, “it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men“.
This statement still holds true today and it is inextricably linked to issues surrounding early childhood experiences, child abuse and the development of individuals’ roles, and functioning, within society.Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

Speech on the adverse effects of child abuse delivered at the British Medical Association Annual Representative Meeting, June 2015.
25/06/2015read ...
Right now, today, in regions all across the UK and worldwide, children are being abused, neglected and exploited by the very families and communities that ought to be looking after them, caring for them and helping them to grow up in the way that they, the children and young people, would wish to.
Each year in the UK, of those children who are physically abused, over a quarter of a million are injured and around 75000 require medical attention.
20% of 11-17 year olds have been severely maltreated by a parent or guardian and 1 in 20 children have experienced contact sexual abuse.
In the six years leading up to the end of 2014, there were thirteen thousand reported cases of nine major sexual offences against under 16 year olds, no, not in the UK, but in Greater Manchester alone.
There is no doubt that communities need to do more to support and protect children.

Changing demographics leaving young people feeling like 'aliens' in their own home
28th June 2018 read …
With fear of knives, guns and violence across Waltham Forest the second highest in London, councillors, council officers and young people met last night to discuss how to tackle the issues.

Council to hold biggest youth engagement event to date next month
29 June 2018read …
The event is being run by young people for young people

Black people in UK 21 times more likely to have university applications investigated, figures show
23 April 2018 read ...
This shocking practice highlights just how pervasive institutional racism is across the higher education sector,’

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men” (Frederick Douglass, 1817-1895)
Dr Andrew Rowland: Churchill Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust
25/04/2014 read ...
Frederick Douglass was an African-American statesman who, having escaped from slavery, became a leader of the abolitionist movement and campaigned throughout his life for equality of all people regardless of background, saying, “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong”.
In 1855 Frederick Douglass had a series of dialogues with white slave-owners who could not, or would not, comprehend that slavery was morally wrong and it was during these communications that he wrote, “it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men“.
This statement still holds true today and it is inextricably linked to issues surrounding early childhood experiences, child abuse and the development of individuals’ roles, and functioning, within society.Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

Unmarried men are a 'problem' for society, Chingford and Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan Smith claims
4 October 2017read …
Unmarried men are a “problem” for society and are more likely to get into debt or commit crime, Iain Duncan Smith has claimed.
The Huffington Post reported the former Tory leader told audiences unmarried men are “released” to do things such as commit crime and take drugs.
“What has been going on all these years is the men that have been absent from these families in many of these low income groups are now a problem. “They are out, no longer having to bring something in for their family, so they can be released to do all the things they wouldn’t normally do and shouldn’t do.”

Talawa Fostering Servicehttps://www.talawafostering.org/
Talawa Fostering Services ​is a forward-thinking independent fostering agency based in Enfield, we work hard to maintain high standards and deliver best Foster Care practice.
Talawa Fostering Services is a steadily developing fostering agency. The Directors are Jan Lord and Sian Baptiste who between them have extensive experience in the field of​ substitute family placement, working with young people and business management. Central to the Agency’s service provision is our commitment to
Our aim is to enable children to fulfill their potential.​

UK must take action on racial disparity, says Theresa May
11 October 2017read …
Theresa May is to challenge society over differences in how public services treat people of different races.
The prime minister is to say the government and institutions must "explain or change" the differences.
An "unprecedented" audit pulls together data on how people of all ethnicities are treated in areas including health, education, and criminal justice.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission called for a "coherent race equality strategy" from government.
The prime minister will launch a website later containing the data, compiled from across the UK government.
"But this audit means that for society as a whole - for government, for our public services - there is nowhere to hide."

Ethnicity facts and figures read report
In the UK, 87% of people are White, and 13% belong to a Black, Asian, Mixed or Other ethnic group.
Use this service to find information about the different experiences of people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. It gathers data collected by government in one place, making it available to the public, specialists and charities.

Schools need 68,000 extra BME teachers to reflect population
13 July 2017read …
An extra 68,000 teachers from black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds need to be recruited to reflect England's school population, figures show.
Just 13% of state-funded schools' teachers are currently from a BME background, compared to 27% of pupils.
Teaching union, the NASUWT says ethnic minority teachers "face discrimination and prejudice when applying for jobs".

BBC salary data shows huge pay gap between white and BME stars19 July 2017read …
Pay of BBC’s best-paid star Chris Evans in 2016 equalled that of all BME high-earners put together
George Alagiah is the BBC’s highest-earning BME star, but was 25th on the list.
Just 10 people on the list were from a minority ethnic background, and they tended to fall into the lower end of the earnings scale. The highest-ranked BME earner was newsreader George Alagiah, who was in 25th place.
The BBC published data on its employees’ pay in 14 pay bands: the lowest is £150,000-£199,000, while the highest is £2.2m-£2.249m.
The maximum that all BME staff together earned last year, using the upper limit of the BBC’s bands, was £2.24m, while the minimum Chris Evans could have earned was £2.2m.

Muslim job-seekers ARE disadvantaged, Government admits
13 January 2017read ...
Muslims are held back in the jobs market, the Government admits — saying universities and job centres could play a big role in tackling inequality.
Britain’s 2.7 million Muslims were found to have the highest levels of disadvantage in finding work and face significant pay gaps compared with those who identify as Christian.

Female MP abuse 'puts women off politics' says Diane Abbott
15 February 2017read ...
Women may be deterred from entering politics because of abuse suffered by female MPs, Diane Abbott says.
The shadow home secretary said she was speaking out about her own experiences after recently receiving a series of threats and insults.Writing in the Guardian Ms Abbott described how last week was a "perfect storm" of abusive events which had prompted her to write about the issue.
"I receive racist and sexist abuse online on a daily basis. I have had rape threats, death threats, and am referred to routinely as a bitch and/or nigger, and am sent horrible images on Twitter," she wrote.
She said she had never written about it during her 30 years in politics but "last week was a perfect storm". "There were journalists outside my house on a daily basis; a Tory councillor was suspended for retweeting an image of me as an ape with lipstick. And accompanying it all, a crescendo of blatantly racist and sexist abuse online.

Muslim women 'stopped from becoming Labour councillors'
5 February 2016read ...
A Muslim women's group has written to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn claiming women have been stopped from becoming councillors by Muslim men in the party.

Candidates with Muslim-sounding names three times more likely to be passed over for jobs
6 February 2017read ...
Muslims are facing so much discrimination when applying for management jobs that many even consider changing their names to get ahead, an investigation has discovered.
It found that someone with a Muslim-sounding name on their CV is three times less likely to get an interview. Diversity coach Sneha Khilay: some recruitment officers who had attended her courses said, ‘Please don’t send us any foreign names.’

Engineering's stark racial inequalities revealed by report
26 December 2016read ...
Being black or minority ethnic bigger barrier to employment than any other factor finds Royal Academy of Engineering
The analysis found that 71% of white engineering graduates are in full-time jobs within six months of leaving university, compared to just 52% of Asian students and 46% of black students.
Black engineering graduates are less likely to find jobs than white students with lower second or third class degrees, according to a report that reveals stark inequalities within the profession.
The review, by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng), found that being black or minority ethnic was a bigger obstacle to employment than any other factor considered, including degree classification, attending a less prestigious university or gender.
Bola Fatimilehin, the academy’s head of diversity, said an old boys’ network approach to recruitment and unconscious biases were contributing to the challenges faced by non-white students.

It’s time to tackle mental health inequality among black people
28 October 2014 read ...African and Caribbean people are far more likely to be diagnosed with a serious mental illness.
Black men in Britain are 17 times more likely than white counterparts to be diagnosed with a psychotic illness. Poverty, neglect and abuse can all be important factors in making mental illness more likely.
The commission’s recommendations to improve housing, job creation, parenting skills and support for those at risk from abuse and neglect have all been accepted by Lambeth’s health and wellbeing board. Lambeth Black Health and Wellbeing Commission

BME educational achievement
14 Apr, 2016 read ...
An Institute for Public Policy Research report last year highlighted the huge gulf between rising BME educational achievement and the persistent ethnic employment gap. Indeed there is a whole shelf full of research going back decades into the static levels of employment discrimination faced by people of colour.
The problem is getting worse. This is because while the ‘ethnic penalty’ in jobs and wages remains stuck, the ever-increasing numbers of BME working age population is rising fast.
Britain has not got more equal. It has more people in work but the same inequality.

European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)
Report on the United Kingdom,
4 October 2016read ...
Until very recently there was no national policy specifically targeting the integration of so-called Black and minority ethnic communities.
The Prime Minister announced his new policy entitled 2020 Vision during an election campaign speech in April 2015.
The aim is to improve opportunity for people from Black and minority ethnic communities.
2020 Vision includes a number of specific targets to be achieved by the end of the current Parliament in 2020:

20% more Black and minority ethnic people in employment;

20% more students from diverse backgrounds in university;

20% of new apprenticeship startups from Black and minority ethnic young people and a

20% increase in new Black and minority ethnic recruits in the police.

ECRI welcomes this initiative and the commitments of the United Kingdom Government, but as 2020 Vision has been adopted very recently it is not possible for ECRI to assess its effectiveness at this stage.

These figures are astonishing - Sadiq Khan

Black and minority ethnic youth unemployment "rose by 50% under the coalition"
11 March 2015read ...
The number of BAME 16 to 24-year-olds out of work for more than 12 months has increased to 41,000 - accounting for one-fifth of youth unemployment - according to an analysis of official figures by the House of Commons Library and the Office for National Statistics.
The significance of this rise is thrown in to sharp relief when compared to the trends for young white people. There was a 2% fall in long-term unemployment among young white people, resulting in an overall fall in long-term youth unemployment of 1%.
The Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan said: “These figures are astonishing."

Disabled children hate crime reports increasingread ...Reported hate crimes against disabled children are rising, a BBC investigation has discovered.
Figures from police forces across the UK show there were 450 incidents reported last year, up from 181 in 2014-15, 5 live Investigates found.
Families with disabled children described being targeted online and verbally abused in the street.

Teacher suspended for referring to a transgender pupil as a girl rather than a boy14 November 2017read …
Joshua Sutcliffe, a maths teacher at a state secondary school in Oxfordshire was suspended after misgendering a transgender pupil by referring to the student as a girl rather than a boy. He said his Christian beliefs mean he does not think there is anything wrong with referring to someone who is born female as a girl
The 27-year-old, who is faced with a disciplinary hearing, said he refused to use the pronouns “he” or “him” when referring to the student and instead chose to use the pupil’s adopted male first name for professional reasons.

KidsRights Index -
The 2017 overall worst performing countries include the
United Kingdom...

Good practice when teaching young children road safety
An example of good practice from Austria is illustrated here View images
The injury and mortality rate of children on UK roads is high. To increase childrens' awareness of the dangers when crossing roads, many schools give supervised road safety instruction by school staff or ROSPA officials in the safety of a school playground. These same children, however, after school, go out, on foot or by bicycle to experience unsupervised access to the real dangers of crossing roads in the vicinity of their homes and schools.
Kindergarten and primary school children require clear boundaries, practical guidance and in situ lessons relating to the situations they will encounter on their neighbourhood roads and streets.
The tasks of UK communty and other local police can, with suitable training and the assistance of a qualified teacher, give young schoolchildren practical training in road safety. This will encourage childrens' positive perception of community police and other authority figures and help establish them as good role models in their lives.

Kids can’t be trusted to cross the road without risking death until they’re 1420th April 2017read …
Youngsters brains are claimed to be unable to judge traffic properly before they reach their early teens
Researchers who got youngsters to cross a busy street in a virtual reality lab discovered that even aged 12 they were run over two per cent of the time.
Six-year-olds were so poor at gauging gaps in 25mph traffic they were hit one in 12 times.
Psychologist Elizabeth O’Neal says kids often misjudge the right time to step off the kerb

London schoolchildren 'using acid instead of knives as weapon of choice
24 April 2017 read …
London schoolchildren are increasingly using acid as a weapon instead of knives, it is claimed. The attacks, known as “dosing”, have seen a sharp increase in recent years, with youths smuggling acid or ammonia into school hidden inside drinks bottles.
One teenager told the Sunday Times many children were using a bottle of cheap household cleaner as a weapon, saying: “It’s just easier to squirt someone.”
The 18-year-old, who claimed to have carried acid since he was 12, said: “You can get that for, like, £5 and f*** someone’s whole life up.
Data released by the Metropolitan Police, showed the number of reported attacks in London rose from 261 in 2015 to 454 in 2016, a rise of 74 per cent.

Number of children carrying knives in London schools has doubled in five years
13 March 2017read ...Statistics released by the Met police show that the number of knife related crimes in schools is also rising as politicians described the figures as a “wake up call” for London. The data shows that the number of pupils caught in possession of knives in schools has risen for a fifth successive year, with 299 students found with knives in 2016, compared to 236 in 2015 and 203 in 2014. In 2011, there were 152 children caught carrying knives in schools.
Martin Powell Davies, London Regional Secretary, National Union of Teachers, said schools need more resources and time in the curriculum to be able to pick up issues and educate young people about the dangers of carrying knives.
The Met’s Trident gangs unit has already delivered educational presentations on knife crime to 14,000 young people across London and there are 292 Safer Schools Officers deployed across 550 London schools.
London’s deputy mayor for policing and crime, Sophie Linden, said: “Our schools should be places of safety, so we’re working with police to take knives off London’s streets by targeting those who carry weapons, placing officers in schools to educate young people about the dangers of carrying a knife, and working with retailers to explore what more can be done to reduce the underage sale of knives.”

Whitefield School in Walthamstow kept special needs children locked in padded rooms
30 March 2017read ...Whitefield School, in MacDonald Road, Walthamstow, was rated inadequate by education watchdog Ofsted in a report published Thursday, March 30.
Concerns centred on the use of three “calming rooms”, where children seen to be demonstrating behavioural issues were locked up for “long periods of time”. Inspectors, who visited the school in January, also found staff were unable to prove parents were notified when their child was placed in one of the secure units.
The report said: “The school’s behaviour policy refers to the use of “calming rooms”, which is not an accurate description of the three secure, padded and bare spaces that are used.
“Two of the three rooms have no natural light and occupants are unable to see outside or hear clearly.
“All the rooms are poorly ventilated and have doors which are unable to be opened from the inside.”
Ofsted called for the school to review its use of the rooms, ruling there were no measures in place to prevent a “small number” of children being repeatedly locked away.
The report added:
“In a significant number of cases, pupils are placed in the rooms more frequently or for longer periods of time, as their behaviour worsens.”

Child sex offences recorded across UK hits all-time high
23 March 2017
read …The number of alleged sex offences against children in 2016 was up by nearly a fifth on the previous year, climbing to 55,507, or one child sex offence every ten minutes, according to figures obtained by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

Warning over segregation in England's schools
22 March 2017read ...
More than a quarter of primary and four in 10 secondary schools are ethnically divided, the social integration charity, The Challenge, found.
It says almost a third of primary and a quarter of secondary schools are segregated along socio-economic lines.
The Department for Education says all schools are expected to promote social integration and British values.
Researchers from The Challenge - working with the iCoCo Foundation and SchoolDash - measured how segregated a school was by comparing its numbers of white British pupils and those eligible for free school meals with those of the 10 schools closest to them.
They used official statistics for the years 2011 to 2016, examining more than 20,000 state schools.

Drop in teacher training recruits revealed
23 March 2017 read ...
The latest figures show a 6.9% drop in acceptances on to teacher training courses for this year.
Head teachers' leaders said the drop in recruits would deepen the teacher recruitment crisis.
The Department for Education said there were more teachers than ever before in England's schools.
It said it was investing £1.3bn in recruitment over this Parliament, and had devised schemes to ensure new teachers stayed in their jobs in those areas that have a poor record of retaining teachers.
Because of the high turnover in the profession, schools in England need to recruit about 30,000 new teachers every year to stand still.
'Deeply worrying'

Waltham Forest leads the way in identifying potential child sexual exploitation.
2 September 2014read .
Joint statement by chief superintendant Collins and council chief executive Martin Esom:: "Waltham Forest is one of three London boroughs leading the way in identifying potential child sexual exploitation cases, thanks to a commitment made by the borough’s police and council to work together to tackle the issue.
Both the council and police have refused to say whether CSE is a problem affecting a particular section of the community

Leytonstone couple on the run from their Leytonstone home after admitting role in child sex ring
2 June 2016read ...
Two members of a child sex ring are on the run after they were convicted in absence of abusing girls who were plied with booze and legal highs.
Paul Silverthorn, 35, and lover Leila Kassam, 31, both of Mornington Road, Leytonstone, had sex with a 15-year-old after she was introduced to them by 20-year-old “fixer” Daniel Trinnaman.
Silverthorn stifled her screams with a ball gag and tied her to a bed after she was given the legal high '5 NEO' at a party at a flat in Coventry House, Haymarket.
Kassam then molested the girl for Silverthorn's gratification, Blackfriars Crown Court heard.

Every secondary school in England offered mental health training in bid to end 'stigma' and help children 9 January 2017read ... Theresa May, the Prime Minister, wants to tackle mental illness in classrooms, at work and in communities
Every secondary school in Britain will be offered training on how to identify and help children who are suffering mental health issues amid rising concerns about cyber-bullying, Theresa May will announce.
The Prime Minister will use a landmark speech to vow to tackle the "completely unacceptable stigma" surrounding mental illness as she vows to end the "hidden injustice" by transforming the way it is dealt with.
She will say that mental illness must be tackled in the classrooms, at work and in communities to prevent it from becoming "entrenched" in society.

NHS figures show 'shocking' rise in self-harm among young
23 October 2016 read ...
Upward trend is more pronounced among girls and is evidence of increased social pressures on children, say experts
Pressures on young people included those at school, on social media, family breakup, growing inequality, body-image fears, abuse and increasing sexualisation.
The number of children and young people self-harming has risen dramatically in the past 10 years, new NHS figures obtained by the Guardian show.
The sharp upward trend in under-18s being admitted to hospital after poisoning, cutting or hanging themselves is more pronounced among girls, though there have been major rises among boys, too.
Experts say the rise is “shocking” confirmation that more young people are experiencing serious psychological distress because they are under unprecedented social pressures.
The number of girls under 18 who have needed hospital treatment after poisoning themselves has gone up from 9,741 in 2005-06 to 13,853 – a rise of 42% – figures collated by NHS Digital show. The numbers of boys ingesting a poisonous substance have stayed almost unchanged; 2,234 did so in 2005-06 and 2,246 did so in 2014-15.

The dark side of female empowerment: The rise of Britain's 'gangster girls' running gangs
09 December 2016read ...
Increasingly, young women are becoming 'equal' to boys within Britain's gang culture, with some breaking away to form girl-only gangs, according to Camilla Batmanghelidjh, head of the Kids Company. Louisa Peacock lifts the lid on the rise of the 'gangster girl'
In London alone there are said to be over 250 criminal street gangs. Thousands of girls and young women are associated with these gangs but at present local authorities don't collect data on the number of so-called 'gangster girls' in Britain, instead focusing on typical gang members, most of whom are male.
Official statistics do show, however, that although women are still statistically far less likely to be involved in crime than men, that gap is narrowing.

Young women at 'highest mental health risk'
29 September 2016read ...
Young women are the highest risk group for mental health problems, according to new data released by NHS Digital.
One in five women reported a common mental disorder such as anxiety and depression in 2014 compared to one in eight men, according to the survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Young women also have high rates of self-harm, post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar.
Mental health charities said the figures showed "nothing had improved".
One in six adults in England has a common mental disorder (CMD), according to the survey

Most boys leave primary without basic numeracy and literacy skills, figures show
1 September 2016read ...
The majority of boys leave primary school without having reached basic standards in reading, writing and maths, government figures reveal today.

Grenfell victims were subject to 'social apartheid' in north Kensington, Labour’s Diane Abbott says
14 June 2018 read …
Shadow Home Secretary backs calls for inquiry to probe whether race or class played part in disaster and denounces Theresa May's apology as 'too little too late'
Grenfell victims were subject to "social apartheid" in North Kensington which meant fire safety in the block fell short of usual standards, Labour's Diane Abbott has told The Independent.
The home secretary said the "yawning gulf" between different social classes in the neighbourhood must be considered in order to understand how the fire happened, saying questions must be asked around how people were able to burn to death in the "richest borough in one of the richest cities in the world".
Speaking a year on from the tragedy, the Labour MP backed calls by Imran Khan QC, a lawyer representing a number of victims, last week for the inquiry to broaden the current terms of reference to probe whether race, religion or social class played any part in the disaster.

Revealed: Internal emails show council chaos in the wake of Grenfell disaster8 June 2018 read …A cache of emails, obtained by Channel 4 News, reveals how Kensington and Chelsea council struggled to cope with the crisis in the days following Grenfell fire
The leader of the council at the time, Nick Paget-Brown, complained about a “complete media s***storm” and condemned journalists for asking questions.
Amidst the chaos, councillors were told that communication with survivors was failing, while one email was titled simply: “Who is in charge?”The disclosure comes nearly a year after the tragedy, which killed 72 people.

Spire London: 771ft high and only one set of stairs for fire escape 11 February 2018read ...Residential towers that dwarf Grenfell are being built in London with a single staircase
One of the world’s tallest skyscrapers has been given planning approval in London despite having only one escape stairwell for residents on its top floors. And a Sunday Times investigation has found at least a further seven tower blocks have been approved in the capital, each with a single stairwell escape like Grenfell Tower.
The 67-storey Spire London will have 861 apartments and offer stunning views across the capital. The £800m development, the epitome of high-rise living, will be the tallest residential skyscraper in Europe when it is completed by 2020.

Profits of misery: How people 'who fitted out Grenfell Tower on the cheap' are mired in claims of tax avoidance, shoddy work and shameful management despite six-figure salaries, £2m homes and even a gong
16 June 2017read ...Controversial firms won lucrative contracts to carry out work for KCTMO.
The company in charge of Grenfell Tower was accused of multiple safety failures.
Fire safety experts were concerned about supervision and accountability
All the while KCTMO executives like Fay Edwards basked in the lap of luxury. The chairman of the organisation was awarded the British Empire Medal in 2016.

Bad managers to blame for UK’s productivity crisis, says Bank of England’s chief economist20 March 2017read … Bad managers stand accused of holding back economic growth in the UK by undermining productivity, preventing pay and living standards rising.
Most companies do not even realise they are performing poorly, however, Andy Haldane, the Bank of England’s chief economist, has claimed.
Just as most people believe they are better than average drivers, so most firms believe they are highly productive, he believes. “A lack of management quality is a plausible candidate explanation for the UK’s long tail of [unproductive] companies,” Mr Haldane said.
“There is a statistically significant link between the quality of firms’ management processes and practices and their productivity. And the effect is large.” “This suggests potentially high returns to policies which improve the quality of management within companies.
Andy Haldane is gloomy on the prospects for productivity growth unless weak firms work hard to catch up with their most productive rivals.
In November he turned his guns on his own profession, urging economists to spend more time trying to understand normal people rather than writing papers “by the elite for the elite”.
He is no stranger to making controversial and potentially unpopular comments.

Britain told to prepare for 'real austerity'

Hate crimes soared by 41% after Brexit vote, official figures reveal
13 October 2016 read ...
There was a sharp increase in the number of racially or religiously aggravated crimes recorded by police in England and Wales following the EU referendum.
In July 2016, police recorded a 41 per cent increase compared to the same month the year before, according to a Home Office report.

London gang members 'competing for ratings' with increasingly horrific attacks
13 March 2017read ...
Duncan Bew, the clinical lead for trauma and emergency surgery at King’s College Hospital in Denmark Hill, said he had witnessed a recent change in the injuries inflicted on knife crime victims in the capital.
In the past, surgeons would see victims who had been stabbed in the lower regions of the body, aimed at causing so-called “humiliation” injuries.
Mr Bew said: “Now we are also seeing people suffering multiple injuries all over the body. The intention does not seem to be to maim people, it is to kill them.”

Swinfen Hall prison cell windows have 'no glass'
14 March 2017read ...The report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons found:
- Most of the 180 cells had windows missing glass, exposing prisoners to the elements
- In the six months before the inspection, there were 79 assaults on prisoners and 24 on staff, as well as 60 fights
- Much of the accommodation, particularly on the older wings, was "squalid"
- Nearly half of inmates said they thought it was "easy" to get illegal drugs
- Many prisoners had to wait four days for a shower
The Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform charity, Frances Crook, said: "For the second time in as many weeks, we read of a prison where men are so frightened for their safety because of rising violence that they are refusing to come out of their cells.

Sir Paul Nurse, accuses politicians of lack of leadership13 January 2015
read ...
The Royal Society president, Sir Paul Nurse, accuses politicians of 'cowardice' over scientific evidence that may be unpopular with the public.
He said: "They have the evidence in front of them but they sometimes are cowardly about using their intelligence”
Sir Paul explained he feels "distressed" when scientists find clear evidence that contributes to a particular issue only for politicians to ignore it "because they don't think it will play well with the public". "It indicates a total lack of leadership on the politicians' part."

Drug 'zombies' at Wrexham bus stationread …
8 March 2017
Over the past two years, bus driver Gavin Rodda has watched helplessly as “zombies” have slowly taken over his place of work.
He describes the drug addicts who congregate in Wrexham bus station like something from the horror series, The Walking Dead. He has discovered people slumped over with syringes still sticking out of their ankle; staggering across bus lanes with no idea where they are; and passed out across town centre planters.
Eventually, when he found blood stains and drug paraphernalia in the bus station toilets, the 35-year-old reached breaking point. He decided to start posting photographs of the addicts online – many of whom are reduced to a comatose state by smoking the new synthetic drugs Spice and Black Mamba.
In recent days, his shocking photographs have gone viral. Speaking to the Telegraph, Rodda admits that he hopes his photographs can persuade the authorities that urgent action is required to help the addicts and clean up the town streets.

British Chambers of Commerce Britain told to prepare for 'real austerity'
2 April 2014read ... John Longworth, director-general of the BCC accused the political class of failing young people, in a scathing attack on the education system which has ‘wasted human capital’.: Britain needs politicians ‘to be more economically literate and business orientated’.
‘Education, education, education' – what a meaningless phrase this proved to be, he said.
Accusing some schools, colleges and universities of ‘losing the plot’, Longworth said: ‘Preparing this generation for the British workforce is too important to the economy for us to ignore.’.

No 10 blames NHS chief as hospital chaos grows
11 January 2017read ...
Theresa May’s senior aides have privately criticised the head of the NHS as Downing Street seeks to shift the blame for mounting chaos in hospitals.
Key members of the prime minister’s team accused Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, of being insufficiently enthusiastic and responsive. They expressed their views in internal meetings, The Times was told.

NHS faces 'humanitarian crisis' as demand rises, British Red Cross warns7 January 2017 read ...
Mike Adamson, chief executive of the British Red Cross, said his organisation was “on the front line”. He said: We are responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country.
We have been called in to support the NHS and help get people home from hospital and free up much needed beds.
This means deploying our team of emergency volunteers and even calling on our partner Land Rover to lend vehicles to transport patients and get the system moving.”

British Red Cross CEO defends NHS 'humanitarian crisis' remarks
9 January 2017read ...
The head of the British Red Cross has stood by his description of a “humanitarian crisis” gripping the NHS after the Prime Minister rejected the suggestion.
Mike Adamson, the charity's chief executive, said the phrase was justified by the scale of the “threat” posed to the nation's health and wellbeing by pressures on the system.
There has been a “significant change” in demand for the Red Cross's help in recent months and the charity is now working in 20 A&Es, he said in an article for The Times.
Mr Adamson said underfunding of social care and a “plethora” of systemic failures were contributing to a crisis that the charity has a duty to expose.

Poverty and Social Exclusion report reveals impoverished nationhttp://www.poverty.ac.uk/
Poverty and Social Exclusion research revealed high levels of deprivation across the UK with severe impacts on people's lives. The March 2013 PSE report reveals impoverished nation read ...Breadline Britain- the rise of mass poverty
Of those who are deprived, most are in work. .The Bank of England
Austerity falls on the poorest, children and the sick or disabled.

Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox: British business ‘too fat and lazy’
10 September 2016 read ...
The UK has lost its way as a trading nation because “lazy” executives prefer to play golf instead of fulfilling their duties as exporters, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has suggested.
In an extraordinary attack on British business culture, the Cabinet minister indicated the UK had grown "too fat" on the successes of previous generations.
Dr Fox said: "We've got to change the culture in our country. People have got to stop thinking about exporting as an opportunity and start thinking about it as a duty - companies who could be contributing to our national prosperity but choose not to because it might be too difficult or too time-consuming or because they can't play golf on a Friday afternoon."

Today's corporate bosses are more like rock stars
02 November 2015read ...
With their lavish lifestyles, thirst for celebrity status and questionable behaviour, many of today's business leaders are more rock 'n' roll than artists or musicians - and not in a good way, says Alex Proud.
Britain's bosses have gone from being top-tier accountants to gaudy show-offs
Back in the 70s, 80s and even into the 90s our commercial top brass belonged to the upper tiers of the middle classes. They lived comparatively modestly. You probably wouldn’t know that they ran a massive company unless they told you.
What you didn’t get was Lear jets, yachts and sub-garden basements.

Exclusive investigation: England manager Sam Allardyce for saleread ...
27 September 2016
Sam Allardyce used his position as England manager to negotiate a £400,000 deal and offered advice to businessmen on how to “get around” FA rules on player transfers, The Telegraph can disclose.
Before he had even held his first training session as England’s new head coach, Allardyce negotiated a deal with men purporting to represent a Far East firm that was hoping to profit from the Premier League’s billion-pound transfer market.
He agreed to travel to Singapore and Hong Kong as an ambassador and explained to the “businessmen” how they could circumvent Football Association rules which prohibit third parties “owning” players.

Sir Paul Nurse, accuses politicians of lack of leadership13 January 2015
read ...
The Royal Society president, Sir Paul Nurse, accuses politicians of 'cowardice' over scientific evidence that may be unpopular with the public.
He said: "They have the evidence in front of them but they sometimes are cowardly about using their intelligence”

Just who do they think they are?
You pay their wages. But the so-called public servants who run councils, the NHS and police are uniting to keep you in the dark about their greed, incompetence and corruption
10 December 2015read...
Public sector bureaucrats yesterday united in a ‘sinister’ attempt to crush the public’s right to know about scandals in the NHS, police, town halls and education.

I called a trans boy a girl by mistake... and it may cost me my job as a teacher: Maths tutor suspended after praising pupil using the wrong gender
11 November 2017read …
A teacher has been suspended and could face the sack after he ‘accidentally’ called a transgender pupil a ‘girl’ in class when the student identifies as a boy.
Joshua Sutcliffe, 27, who teaches maths at a state secondary school in Oxfordshire, said ‘Well done girls’ to the teenager and a friend when he spotted them working hard.
He apologised when corrected by the pupil, but six weeks later he was suspended from teaching after the pupil’s mother lodged a complaint.
Following an investigation, he has been summoned to a formal disciplinary hearing to face misconduct charges for ‘misgendering’.
Mr Sutcliffe, a maths graduate who gained his teaching qualifications at Exeter University, said he had no official instructions about how to address the student, but along with other staff decided to use the pupil’s chosen first name.
However, he has admitted that, as a Christian, he avoided using male pronouns such as ‘he’ and ‘him’.
Mr Sutcliffe, a pastor at an evangelical church in Oxford, also said that several years ago he had started a voluntary Bible club during lunchtimes at the school which had been well attended.
But this had been shut down earlier this year after he had answered a student’s question on marriage by saying the Bible described it as being between a man and a woman, prompting a complaint about homophobia.
The former Conservative Party chairman Lord Tebbit said: ‘It seems to me this is a mad world when someone is disciplined for stating a biological fact.’

Oxford ‘takeaway’ exam to help women get firsts
11 June 2017read …
History students will be able to sit a paper at home in an effort to close the gap with the number of men getting top degrees
Oxford University is to change its exam system to help women do better amid figures showing men are much more likely to get a first-class degree.
One of Oxford’s five final-year history exams will be replaced by a paper that can be done at home to try to improve results for female students.

A record number of LGBTQ people were just elected to the British Parliament
11 June 2017read …
The British election was remarkable for many things — particularly the weak showing of Theresa May’s Conservative Party. But there was a milestone less widely noted: British voters elected 45 out LGBTQ candidates to parliament — 7 percent of its 650 members.
Those 45 MPs are an increase over the already high-water mark of 32 elected in 2015.

Women-only and gay-only shortlists for the PC Liberal Democrats
12 March 2016read ...
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron hopes to impose all-women shortlists by the next election and will make the announcement on Sunday at the party's spring conference

Tim Farron resigns and admits it would be 'impossible' for him to be Liberal Democrat leader and 'remain faithful to Christ'
14 June 2017read …
Tim Farron has resigned as Liberal Democrat leader after senior party figures triggered a coup against him earlier today.
It follows the resignation of his home affairs spokesman Lord Brian Paddick over the leader's views on gay marriage. Lord Paddick, formerly one of the country's most senior gay policemen, said he felt unable to continue in his role because of Mr Farron's views on "various issues".
Throughout the election campaign the Liberal Democrat leader was dogged by questions about his attitude to gay sex after he previously appeared to state the practice was a sin.

Tim Farron spoke out about the scrutiny he faced on matters of his religion
14 June 2017read …
“There are Christians in politics who take the view that they should impose the tenets of faith on society, but I have not taken that approach because I disagree with it - it's not liberal and it is counterproductive when it comes to advancing the gospel.
“In which case we are kidding ourselves if we think we yet live in a tolerant, liberal society

Lord Paddick quits Lib Dem frontbench over Tim Farron's 'views'
14 June 2017read …
Lord Paddick, who is gay, has been on the Lib Dem frontbench since last October.
He tweeted: "I've resigned as shadow home secretary over concerns about the leader's views on various issues that were highlighted during GE17."
During the campaign, Mr Farron - who is a Christian - was asked repeatedly in media interviews to clarify his views on gay sex but did not, to begin with, answer directly.
However, he later insisted that he did not believe it was a sin and that, while he believed political leaders should not "pontificate on theological matters", it was right to address the subject as it had become "an issue".

Passchendaele - 1917

2017

Male suicide: a growing crisis
10 September 2016read ...
The biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK is suicide. Despite all the horrible diseases we could contract, accidents we could be in or potential ways we could kill each other, we’re still killing ourselves more frequently than any of those things. Of the 6,000+ British lives lost to suicide each year, nearly 75 per cent of those are male

Teacher Kato Harris warns men to avoid profession
16 April 2017 read …
A geography teacher at an all-girls school in London has warned men not to become teachers after a false allegation of rape shattered his career. He was cleared of the allegation by a jury after a trial last year.
In an interview he told the newspaper: "I would certainly advocate that no man qualify as a teacher. It is just not worth it. What is the lesson here? There is nothing to protect the male teacher."

It would be "sensible" not to appoint menEnvironment Secretary Andrea Leadsom: Men should not be nannies because they may be paedophiles
14 July 2016 read ...
Andrea Leadsom has suggested men should not be hired to look after young children because they may be paedophiles.
During a discussion on the challenges faced by parents, the newly-appointed Environment Secretary said it would be "sensible" not to appoint males for childcare duties

Law that will brand all men rapists:
22 March 2017read …
SARAH VINE says new plans to allow victims to testify via video are deeply worrying
The proposal, announced earlier this week by the Ministry of Justice, to allow alleged victims of rape to have their cross examination recorded before a trial, is deeply worrying.
In English law, you are innocent until proven guilty. By allowing video testimony, you are introducing the presumption of guilt and placing the onus on the defence to prove innocence.
Because allowing a victim to present a pre-recorded testimony is bound to prejudice the jury. How could it not? The very fact that someone could be so psychologically traumatised as to be unable to attend court — and not only that, to be extended the same kinds of protections usually reserved for children — will inevitably lend an element of ‘no smoke without fire’ to the proceedings
But all these new measures do is transfer the injustice from one side of the scales to another. Alleged victims of rape already enjoy anonymity, a right that is denied any man accused. Because of this, many innocent men — and every week it seems we hear of another case — have been branded monsters, their lives ruined.
If these proposals become reality, it will be open season. Worse still, they will enshrine in English law that old ultra-feminist line: that all men are rapists until proven otherwise.

General election 2017

Women's Equality Party leader to challenge MP Philip Davies
23 April 2017read ...
The leader of the Women's Equality Party, Sophie Walker, is to stand against Tory MP and male rights advocate Philip Davies in the election.
Mr Davies, who won the Shipley seat with a majority of more than 9,624 at the last election, is an outspoken critic of political correctness and what he has described as "zealous" feminism.
The MP, who has warned that men's voices are being "neutered" and that their rights must be more strongly defended, caused a stir when he was elected to the Commons equality and women's committee last year.
Announcing her candidacy on 8 June, Ms Walker - a former journalist - took a swipe at Mr Davies, suggesting that it was a "national embarrassment" that he was on the committee.
Mr Davies, who has represented Shipley since 2005 and strongly supported the UK leaving the EU, challenged Ms Walker to back up her claims of sexism with any evidence.
The Women's Equality Party, co-founded by comedian and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig, was founded in 2015. Ms Walker stood for London mayor in May 2016.

Brexit ...

Stop oppressing Cornwall – Council of Europe's warning to Britain
19 March 2017read …
The report by the Council of Europe into the “protection of national minorities” concludes that the UK needs to do far more, including reviving Cornish as a language and preventing the “Disneyfication” of such landmarks as Tintagel Castle.
The 50-page study into Britain’s treatment of national minorities raises serious concerns about the plight of the Cornish. The Council of Europe, set up after the Second World War to uphold human rights and the rule of law across the continent, has expressed misgivings over the neglect of a county that is beloved by the rest of Britain for two weeks a year.
The Council of Europe criticises the Government, which recognised the Cornish as a minority in 2014, for scrapping funding of the native language. Just 500 people are thought to be able to speak Cornish fluently, but the Council of Europe wants funding to be reinstated. It even calls on the BBC to broadcast more in Cornish.
The report also expresses concern at a lack of funding for Cornish cultural events and festivals, such as St Piran’s Day on March 5, the national day of Cornwall.

Cornwall Council welcomes Council of Europe Opinion Report ...9 March 2017read ...
We welcome the findings of the report from the Council of Europe which recognises the importance of Cornwall’s unique culture and heritage and sets out a series of clear recommendations for the UK Government on how to meet its legal obligations to protect Cornwall’s cultural identity.
The Cornish are recognised as a national minority under the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, which provides protection for many aspects of cultural identity, including the Cornish language.
The Opinion Report published today was compiled by the Council of Europe following their review of the UK Government’s Compliance Report, submitted in 2015. This was the first Compliance Report to include the Cornish as a national minority. The Council provided UK Government with material to inform the Compliance Report and hosted a visit by the Advisory Committee from the Council of Europe in March 2016. This was part of a week long tour to see the progress which is being made by the UK Government in implementing the provisions of the Framework Convention

Muslims from Bait ul Ahad Mosque in Walthamstow join vigil in Westminster to mark anniversary of terror attack
29 March 2017read …Members of a minority Muslim sect joined police officers on Westminster Bridge to mark the one week anniversary of a terrorist attack.
Hundreds of Ahmadiyya Muslims held flowers and banners that read ‘Love for all, hatred for none’ at the vigil to show solidarity with the victims.
On Wednesday March 22 Khalid Masood mowed down pedestrians on the bridge with his car, killing three, before stabbing PC Keith Palmer outside Parliament.
Chairman of the mosque Mubashir Siddiqi said: “People are scared so we came out today to show that we are not scared after this attack that took the lives of innocent people.
“The main purpose of today is to show people there is no room for violence in Islam.“We are trying very hard to give a positive message to society but unfortunately a few members go against this.“We have to show that we are united and with the people and we are loyal to our country.”

Equality Trust -
The UK is a divided society where the richest receive the lion’s share leaving crumbs for the rest. How did we get to this point? What are the costs of having such high inequality? And what do people think we should do about it?

Only targeting Muslims in anti-terror schemes is wrong, says Jeremy Corbyn26 March 2017read …
The Government's Prevent strategy should be broadened and focus on all communities, Jeremy Corbyn has suggested. The Labour leader said the counter-terrorism strategy is "often counter-productive" and casts "suspicion" over the whole Muslim community in the UK.
Speaking to ITV's Peston On Sunday programme in the wake of Wednesday's London terror attack, Mr Corbyn suggested the Government's deradicalisation programme needed to be reformed.
He continued: "Deal with the issue of far right extremism within our society, deal with the issue of racism in our society, deal with the issues of discrimination within our society, deal with the issues of the perceptions of stop and search within our society, above all be inclusive of people and what Prevent does, it says 'hang on, let's look at only the Muslim community'."
When pushed on exactly what he believed needed to change, he said: "I'm saying broaden it into an agenda of inclusion."

LGBT Foundation https://lgbt.foundation/LGBT Foundation is a vibrant charity with a wide portfolio of well-established services and a rapidly developing range of new initiatives aimed at meeting the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people.

Stonewallhttp://www.stonewall.org.uk
Our members know that people perform better when they can be themselves. "At £2,000 per annum, membership represents exceptional value for money and a cost-effective way of implementing employers’ responsibilities under the Equality Act.

Manchester city council to create UK's first LGBT retirement home
21 February 2017 read …
Manchester city council has announced plans to create the UK’s first retirement community aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
According to the local authority, the city is home to the country’s largest number of LGBT people outside of London and is due to see a rapid growth in the number of LGBT residents over 65 in the next two decades.
The extra care scheme – a targeted development for older people – will house a minimum of 51% LGBT residents, but heterosexual people will also be welcome to apply to live in the accommodation.
As well as the LGBT Foundation, the project is being supported by Stonewall Housing and the Homes and Communities Agency.

School for LGBT pupils planned for Manchester
16 January 2015 read ...
The first school in Britain for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people could open its doors within the next three years. Based in the centre of Manchester, the specialist state school plans to take 40 full-time students from across the area and will offer up to 20 part-time places for young people who want to continue attending a mainstream school.

Black and minority ethnic women face "catastrophic" levels of unemploymentDecember 2012:read ...They are discriminated against at "every stage" of the recruitment process, a group of MPs has warned.
Labour MP David Lammy, the committee's chairman, says the situation is "deeply worrying".

Muslim job-seekers ARE disadvantaged, Government admits
13 January 2017read ...
Muslims are held back in the jobs market, the Government admits — saying universities and job centres could play a big role in tackling inequality.
Britain’s 2.7 million Muslims were found to have the highest levels of disadvantage in finding work and face significant pay gaps compared with those who identify as Christian.

Report: Government Response to the Employment Opportunities for Muslims in the UK- December 2016

Celia Walden: When did flirting become a crime?
14 January 2017read ...
There you go, my lovely,’ says the greengrocer, handing over the sweet potatoes.
‘Is the “lovely” for me or her?’ I ask playfully, gesturing at my five-year-old daughter. Whereupon an odd thing happens. The greengrocer blanches, swallows and stutters, ‘I didn’t say “lovely”. I didn’t call anyone “lovely”.’
And what was a good-natured little interaction between two people on a bright and frosty Saturday morning has suddenly been warped into something strained, worrisome.
Why? Because the man thinks I’m going to ask to speak to his boss, accuse him of a smorgasbord of ‘isms’ and demand some form of retribution/compensation for the affront suffered.
Welcome to 2017, folks: the year flirting officially became a crime.

Men are now the downtrodden sex
1 December 2016read ...
Cassie Jaye, feminist (and mother of a son) reluctantly admits women's fight for equality has gone too far.
According to the Higher Education Policy Institute, ‘a boy born in 2016 will be 75 per cent less likely to attend university than his sister if the present trends continue’.
That’s no feminist victory, it’s a terrifying prediction which will have widespread ramifications, not just for men in the workplace, but for relationships between men and women as well.

David Lammy: A new approach to adult education will help Londoners succeed
12 January 2017read ...
Why is the political class so obsessed with 18-year-olds going to university? Is it because they assume that what worked for them will work for everybody else? Bring back night schools — learning isn’t one-size-fits-all and it certainly doesn’t end at 18 or 21.
I remember a time when Londoners could do part-time courses in the evening to gain new skills that would let them move into a better job and build a better life for their family. Floodlight, a Yellow Pages for adult education, was available at every newsagents. New
Too many Londoners are trapped in low-paid work with no real prospects of moving into more fulfilling and better-paid work. What opportunities are there for those working in call centres, or on zero-hours contracts in retail or hospitality, to learn new skills if they missed out as teenagers?

Income inequality among men soars
12 January 2017 read ...
The number of men in low-paid part-time work has increased fourfold over the past 20 years.
New research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has found that one in five low-paid men aged 25 to 55 now work part-time.
While 95% of top-earning men normally work full-time, 20% of the lowest paid now work part-time.
That means wage inequality for men has risen over two decades, but for women the opposite is the case.
More women have had a better education in recent years and more have moved into full-time jobs. As a result their pay has improved and they have had less incentive to leave the workforce

It’s time to tackle mental health inequality among black people
28 October 2014 read ...African and Caribbean people are far more likely to be diagnosed with a serious mental illness.
Black men in Britain are 17 times more likely than white counterparts to be diagnosed with a psychotic illness. Poverty, neglect and abuse can all be important factors in making mental illness more likely.
The commission’s recommendations to improve housing, job creation, parenting skills and support for those at risk from abuse and neglect have all been accepted by Lambeth’s health and wellbeing board. Lambeth Black Health and Wellbeing Commission

The Samaritans
Suicide in the UK and ROIread ...
Samaritans' Suicide Statistics Report 2016 provides details of the national suicide rates for the United Kingdom (UK) and Republic of Ireland (ROI). Download the 2016 Suicide Statistics Reporthere

Close paternal bond linked to lower likelihood of behavioural problems in children
22 November 2016 read ...
Fathers who are emotionally involved with their children and feel confident as a parent are less likely to raise offspring with behavioural problems, research suggests.
A new study from Oxford University found that a father's emotional attachment and strong bond with a child - as opposed to how much practical childcare they carried out - had the strongest effect on whether a child suffered problems.

Thousands of airline pilots flying every day with suicidal thoughts, says landmark study15 December 2016read ...More than 4,000 commercial flights on any given day are being flown by pilots who have experienced suicidal thoughts, a landmark study on the airline industry suggests.
An international survey of pilots by Harvard University found 4.1 per cent had contemplated killing themselves at least once in the previous fortnight, and 12.6 per cent met the criteria for depression.
Pilots diagnosed with acute depression are automatically deemed unfit to fly, but experts have warned many cover up their symptoms for fear of losing their careers.

Here’s another disturbing statistic: across the UK and Republic of Ireland, men are three times more likely to take their own lives than women, according to the Samaritans.
And yet women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression.Samaritans_Men_and_Suicide_Report_web

Child sexual abuse inquiry 'could last until 2020'
9 July 2015read ...
Justice Goddard, a New Zealand High Court judge, said in her opening remarks that the sexual abuse of children "has left permanent scars not only on successive generations, has left permanent scars not only on victims themselves, but on society as a whole".
She said it was important to emphasise that this is the largest and most ambitious public inquiry ever established in England and Wales.

Faith school fears as union says teachers must promote gay lifestyle
6 April 2015read ...
Schools should be forced to promote gay relationships in sex education lessons, union leaders say.
The National Union of Teachers has called for a ‘positive portrayal of same sex relationships’ in lessons to be made ‘compulsory’ under the next government.

Fury as bishops say cuts mean poor are cast aside
16 January 2015read ...
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York said Britain is caught in a 'cycle of decline'
Archbishops of Canterbury and York said that the Government was 'casting aside' the poor. As a result, they said, Britain had become dominated by 'rampant' individualism, is 'ill at ease with itself' and was in many places 'trapped in apparently inevitable decline'.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, and the Most Reverend Dr John Sentamu, put their names to a series of essays.
Their book, On Rock or Sand?, declared that many are 'left behind' by 'rampant consumerism' and individualism.
Last night David Cameron said he 'profoundly disagreed' with the two archbishops. And angry MPs said their comments were simply inaccurate and accused the primates of straying too far into the political arena.

Most boys leave primary without basic numeracy and literacy skills, figures show
1 September 2016read ...
The majority of boys leave primary school without having reached basic standards in reading, writing and maths, government figures reveal today.
Department for Education data released showed 50.46 per cent of boys – or 149,872 of the 296,988 males who sat the exams - failed to meet the new standard.
57.1 per cent of girls reached the expected standard compared to less than half of boys.
Experts said girls outperform boys at a young age as they tend to be more eager to please and there are fewer male role models for boys to aspire to.”

Ethnic minorities face 'entrenched' racial inequality - watchdog
18 August 2016read ...
Black and ethnic minority people in Britain still face 'entrenched' race inequality in many areas, including education and health, a watchdog warns.
A review by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which also looked at employment, housing, pay, and criminal justice, found an 'alarming picture'.

Huge rise in workers on zero-hours contractsread ...
September 9 2016
Almost a million workers are on zero-hours contracts — a rise of a fifth in the past year, according to official figures.
A record 903,000 people now work on this basis, meaning they have no guarantee of minimum hours, the Office for National Statistics says.
Theresa May has suggested that she will do more to rein in zero-hours contracts after vowing to tackle job insecurity when she became prime minister

Grammar schools help poor claim is 'tosh', says Ofsted chief Wilshawread ...
5 September 2016
Sir Michael Wilshaw said a return to selection at 11 years old would be a "profoundly retrograde step" that would lead to sliding standards.
He spoke out after reports that Prime Minister Theresa May favours changing the law so new grammars can open.
In a speech to London Councils' education conference, Sir Michael praised the success of schools in the capital saying they had undergone an "amazing transformation" and lead the way in "narrowing the attainment gap between rich and poor".

Evidence shows level of mobility in UK is low by international standardsread ...
9 September 2016
Social mobility has declined in Britain in recent decades, a series of studies has suggested.
The UK trails badly behind other developed countries as top jobs are increasingly dominated by those from wealthy families.
A recent research paper published in the Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics said: ‘Over the last decade or so, there has been a major resurgence in research exploring the extent of intergenerational persistence in inequalities.

TSB chaos deepens as boss admits bank is 'on its knees' and unsure what caused its online problems
27 April 2018read …
TSB's handling of its ongoing IT meltdown has descended further into farce, after chief Paul Pester admitted the bank was "on its knees" and unsure what had caused a seven-day IT meltdown.
Spanish parent company Sabadell stepped in over Mr Pester's head at a press conference in Spain to warn outages could continue into next week.
Mr Pester told The Telegraph that he was still not sure exactly what the problem was. He said an international team of experts drafted in from tech giant IBM today "will get to the bottom of this".

Technical colleges are half empty
May 1 2017read …
Pioneering schools set up to improve technical and vocational education and championed by the Conservative government are struggling to attract enough pupils, with the majority less than half full.
Two thirds of University Technical Colleges (UTCs) have experienced a dramatic fall in numbers in this academic year alone, the research showed.
The figures, gathered through Freedom of Information requests, will put pressure on the Conservatives to scrap the entire project in their manifesto. In the 2015 election campaign, the party pledged to expand the programme so that every city had access to UTCs.

Council has admitted long-term failings to help unemployed in Waltham Forest.
17th January 2013 read ...
Organisations contracted to deliver the scheme often blamed the council for failing to provide adequate support. Despite a large investment over a number of years Worknet has repeatedly failed to meet targets, often helping only a fraction of the people it was supposed to.

Waltham Forest Skills Training

London Borough of Waltham Forest,
Local Economic AssessmentNovember 2010, Navigant Consulting.. read full report
A low-skilled borough... Skills levels in Waltham Forest are very low, as in most of East London. Waltham Forest ranks 377th out of 408 local areas in Great Britain on overall skills and qualifications scores.There are more Asian/Asian British unemployed in Waltham Forest than any other ethnic grouping. Asian/Asian British residents are nearly three times as likely to be unemployed as White residents, and twice as likely as Black/Black British residents.

'Economy to blame' for poor performance of construction training centre in Leytonstone5th March 2013read ...
The poor performance of a construction training centre hailed as an Olympic legacy for Waltham Forest has been blamed on the economic downturn by the council.
Last week it was revealed that the Cathall Road National Skills Academy in Leytonstone has failed to provide the promised number of annual apprenticeships for local people.
The authority has been unable to provide figures for how many of the total trainees are from Waltham Forest, but said only 19 per cent of apprentices and funded learners were from the borough.
In a statement to the Guardian, the council's cabinet member for economic development, Cllr Mark Rusling, admitted the apprenticeship figure was "disappointing" but said he was confident people would benefit from the centre in future.

We need new skills to fight inequality
04 February 2013read ...
A more efficient society requires different skills and behaviour if it is not to be associated with greater inequality. We have a world of declining inequality between countries but increasing inequality within them. There is a lot to be done.

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men” (Frederick Douglass, 1817-1895)

Whitefield School in Walthamstow kept special needs children locked in padded rooms
30 March 2017read ...Whitefield School, in MacDonald Road, Walthamstow, was rated inadequate by education watchdog Ofsted in a report published Thursday, March 30.
Concerns centred on the use of three “calming rooms”, where children seen to be demonstrating behavioural issues were locked up for “long periods of time”. Inspectors, who visited the school in January, also found staff were unable to prove parents were notified when their child was placed in one of the secure units.
The report said: “The school’s behaviour policy refers to the use of “calming rooms”, which is not an accurate description of the three secure, padded and bare spaces that are used. “Two of the three rooms have no natural light and occupants are unable to see outside or hear clearly. “All the rooms are poorly ventilated and have doors which are unable to be opened from the inside.”
Ofsted called for the school to review its use of the rooms, ruling there were no measures in place to prevent a “small number” of children being repeatedly locked away.
The report added: “There is little evidence to demonstrate that the rooms are having a positive effect on the behaviour of pupils. “In a significant number of cases, pupils are placed in the rooms more frequently or for longer periods of time, as their behaviour worsens.”
The school, attended by 350 special needs pupils between the ages of two and 19, has been run by the Whitefield Academy Trust since April 2014.
The trust also operates Joseph Clarke School in Highams Park, which specialises in teaching visually-impaired children.
Despite severe criticism over the use of “calming rooms”, inspectors praised the school’s performance in a number of areas.

6 July 2016
Letter from Pretoria, South Africa. Older people helping children from war torn Africa

Pretoria's City School No 47, grades 1 - 7 serves a largely immigrant population. Many of the children come damaged, from war areas of Africa .English is their third or fourth language.
Jeni Cohen, the play therapist, works to bring them back to childhood - from conditions we don`t want to imagine.
The mere presence of friendly personal attention develops the sense of self. To this end Jen brought in a group of Seniors 65- 90 yrs ! We meet her weekly in the modest library. Pupils aged 6 -12, of wildly varying ability come in, to read aloud, be read to, and chat. The sessions end with hugs all round , specially for George, our lone precious father figure.
With year end exams in view Jeni has a plan for those who still learn aurally only. Her solution is an ancient one - Scribes ! Scribes to read out questions and take dictation. The Education Dept will allow it if at least 5 can be rounded up. So far, six.
Here we are, wheelchairs, walking sticks and all. These young people have no prejudice against age , infirmity or colour - "She`ll take your stick, grannie, You take my arm" My other arm has already been taken. A ten-year old says "I want to be like you".
Does wonders for one`s sense of self.

Waltham Forest council 'failed' 93 per cent of special needs school leavers
6 July 2016read ...
Waltham Forest council failed to provide for 93 per cent of young people with special needs moving from school to college, an education law specialist has claimed.
Only seven of 110 youngsters in the borough moving from school to further education were given an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.
A Freedom of Information request by law firm Simpson Millar revealed 114 councils across the UK failed to meet the new March 31 deadline for issuing EHC plans this year.
Imogen Jolley, head of Education at Simpson Millar, said: “Local authorities have a legal duty to prepare and issue EHC plans for young people with special educational needs – setting out their transition from school to a college placement or apprenticeship.
“We have clearly uncovered a systemic problem which is affecting thousands of young people with special educational needs at a crucial time in their education.
“What’s the point in having a deadline if local authorities have scant regard for it, or are entirely unable to meet it? This is an issue that needs addressing now.”

Waltham Forest Childrens Services

Waltham Forest council continues failing children at risk of abuse in all safeguarding categories
21 January 2015read ...
Vulnerable children in Waltham Forest are still not being properly protected by the council, more than three years after it was found to have one of the worst children services departments in the country, inspectors have said. A damning report by Ofsted found the authority continues to fail to meet minimum requirements in all safeguarding categories.
Work to protect missing children, or those at risk of being sexually abused, was found not to be properly co-ordinated, although it had been given greater priority since the last inspection.

Ofsted assessment of children's services20 January 2015read ....WALTHAM Forest Council's children and young people services department is one of the worst in the country, according to watchdog OfstedIMPROVEMENT NOTICE - 28 October 2011

Council set to launch new children's services
19 May 2016read ...Children’s centres across Waltham Forest are set to offer more services as part of new council scheme.
From July 1, new “Children and Family Centres” will provide support for families in the borough with children aged 0 to 18.
Parents will have access to information on parenting, child welfare, family life, employability and community links, as well as an increased range of health services.
Each centre will be linked to one of four neighbourhoods, Chingford, Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone and will be operated by local charity The Lloyd Park Centre.
The charity’s chief executive, Pauline Thomas, said: “This announcement is an important one for us as a charity, but also for families across Waltham Forest.
“Over the last 35 years we have grown from a small playgroup into a parent-led charity that has great expertise in supporting local families and developing children to their best potential.
“Our mission is to build brighter futures for children and families in our local community, and our charity is shaped by those who use our services.”

Waltham Forest council's £1 million cut to homeless service 'could put more on the streets'
21 May 2016read ...
Plans to cut spending on homeless services in Waltham Forest by £1 million could lead to a rise in rough sleepers in the borough, a charity has warned.

Council hit back at criticism over £1 million cut in homeless budget
25 May 2016read ...
The borough was recently listed in the top 20 local authorities in the country for rough sleeping.
Cllr Khevyn Limbagee, cabinet member for housing, said: “We are committed to supporting those most in need and that means helping the most vulnerable within our community."

Waltham Forest Council acted unlawfully and failed “to accord with reality” in trying to evict a soup kitchen for vulnerable homeless people after 25 years. 7th April 2014 read ... A High Court judge has ruled Waltham Forest Council acted unlawfully and failed “to accord with reality” in trying to evict a soup kitchen for vulnerable homeless people after 25 years.

Aid worker Tox Sharif leaves Walthamstow behind to start family in war-torn Syria
5 April 2017read ...
For Tauqir ‘Tox’ Sharif leaving Walthamstow five years ago to risk his life saving people caught up in a civil war which has ravaged its country, was a “natural” choice.
The 30-year-old Muslim, who left George Monoux College in 2005, had enough of “watching the bloodshed” on his television and packed his bags for Syria in 2012.
Based around Idlib in north-western Syria, Tox drives camouflaged ambulances delivering aid to the frontline after horrific chemical attacks.
Away from his daily struggle helping people, Tox married Racquell, a fellow aid worker from south London, and became father to four children all born in Syria.
Against the constant threat from ISIS fighters and the Syrian regime, Tox runs Live Updates from Syria across several social media platforms.
His work sharing videos and updates from besieged towns and refugee camps has attracted many enemies among the battling Syrian factions.
The father-of-four added: “I got lots of death threats after that, many have tried to kill me but that’s life. “You have to speak the truth if it’s for you or against you.” “Death is written wherever you are. Danger is relative and our faith keeps us strong, helping these people until this crisis is over.”
Despite his faith, witnessing some of the atrocities carried out by Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian regime has been “difficult to stomach”. “No one should see eyes and limbs littering floors after barrel bomb attacks. “These people are so sick doing this to their civilian population.” But at the same time, he has witnessed a lot of “goodness” in the face of adversity. “Despite everything that is going they are still trying to fight for their freedom.”
With a degree of sadness, Tox’s thoughts for home reveal a man who misses much of the east London borough he left behind.
He said: “I love Walthamstow. It is my home. I miss its diversity, meeting people from all over the world. “I miss Hoe Street, the market, the cafes, restaurants and playing football at Low Hall Sports Ground. “I don’t miss the traffic though.”

Muslim choir girls sing Arabic Christmas carols in Beirut 25 December 2016read ...see video ...The ensemble of around 40 girls can be seen in a video singing ‘Silent Night’ in Arabic at St Elie Greek Catholic Church, located in a majority Muslim neighbourhood of the city.

Men and women building an inclusive Britain

Hate trolls target Glasgow cathedral

Muslim mother and daughter team up to help homeless in Walthamstow
17 January 2017read …
Shabeena Javaid, Nosheena Javaid, Saira from PL84U Al-Suffa and Giri, who received a rucksack.
A MUSLIM charity worker has teamed up with her mother to provide winter essentials to those sleeping rough.
Nosheena Javaid, 39, of Walthamstow and her mother Shabeena Javaid, 60, donated sleeping bags and rucksacks full of clothing to homeless men and women at a soup kitchen.
The women visited the PL84U Al-Suffa’s bi-monthly event in St Gabriel's in Havant Road, Walthamstow on Sunday (January 15).
Nosheena, who is UK programmes officer at Muslim Aid, said: “I'm so pleased to be working alongside my mum to support local people. “When we were young she didn’t have time to volunteer but now she sits and listens to the homeless people’s stories and supports them.”
Shabeena added: "It's wonderful to make people happy. "I love helping people. Sometimes it's upsetting to hear about their lives but it's so good to be making a difference."

Hate trolls target Glasgow cathedral after Koran reading during service
13 January 2017read …
Police called in to probe hate comments made after St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral invited Muslims to participate in a service.
Police are investigating online abuse aimed at a cathedral after passages from the Koran were read during a service. The verses were read at St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow on January 6 to mark the feast of Epiphany.
People from the local Muslim community were also invited to the service in an effort to build relationships between the Christian and Muslim faiths .
A reading from the Koran was given telling the story of the birth of Christ which said Jesus was not the son of God.
The move, however, prompted a backlash from online trolls who targeted the church for contradicting Christian beliefs.
The cathedral said it had received offensive messages from online platforms which have been reported to Police Scotland.

The Henry Jackson Societyread ... The Henry Jackson Society is a think tank and policy-shaping force that fights for the principles and alliances which keep societies free – working across borders and party lines to combat extremism, advance democracy and real human rights, and make a stand in an increasingly uncertain world.
The Henry Jackson Society was founded in Cambridge, on March 11 2005, and was launched in the Houses of Parliament, on November 22 2005.

Waltham Forest Asian seniors group awarded £37,000 grant
4 January 2017read ...
Waltham Forest Asian Seniors Group, which was set up 15 years ago, is made up of mostly Pakistani Muslim men.
The aim of the group is to bring isolated members of the Asian community together but women do not attend meetings due to cultural beliefs.
Project manager Dr Shuakat Khan said he and his management team are working to break down barriers between the two genders.
He said: “We are trying to bring men and women together because we want to address issues in our community such as domestic violence and different Islamic interpretations.
“But a lot of the men are not comfortable sitting next to a woman.
“Some of them feel that the women’s needs are greater than theirs so they would feel threatened if they joined.
“Change is happening but it is slow and not all members are as progressive as us.”
The group has approximately 60 members and was awarded a grant by the Peoples’ Health Trust last year. also read ...

Charity TimeBank project, 'Talking Together'.http://timebank.org.uk/talking-togetherTalking Together is a volunteer-delivered English language project. It is aimed at Muslim women who are neither working nor actively seeking work (so, typically, those that are most isolated , as they are at home with domestic responsibilities).
Classes are held during school hours so that those with children can attend during the day.
Funding for each learner enrolled would be available as long as learners attend 50% of more of classes.
Payment is made direct to the organisation, rather than to each learner. The project is funded by the Department of Communities and Local Government.
Courses are between 6 and 12 weeks long and each of the 12 individual classes lasts about 2 hours. TimeBank will provide trained volunteers to run classes:
To start with , each organisation needs to recruit up to 10 women aged 19 and over with very little English to attend classes following a basic curriculum
For more information, contact the project coordinator:
Rachel CarderRachel@timebank.org.uk

Muslim choir girls sing Arabic Christmas carols in touching video from BeirutWatch the video
25 December 2016read ...
Footage of a Muslim girls’ choir singing Christmas carols at a church concert has emerged from from the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
The ensemble of around 40 girls can be seen in a video singing ‘Silent Night’ in Arabic at St Elie Greek Catholic Church, located in a majority Muslim neighbourhood of the city.
The Imam Sadr Foundation choir was taking part in a concert organised by the Beirut Chants Festival, which organised 23 free concerts for advent from December 1st.
The girls’ performance took place on the 19th December, where they also accompanied famous Lebanese musician Abeer Nehme. The concert was one of several Christmas events they have taken part in, according to the Imam Sadr Foundation’s Facebook page..
The video has been widely shared on social media, with many comments praising the beauty of the music and the touching interfaith gesture. “Thank you for sharing this beautiful moment,” one person wrote. “Lebanon at its best,” another comment read.
Lebanon is a tolerant and religiously diverse country, whose population is 40 per cent Christian.
Its 1926 constitution ensures that there is parity between Muslim and Christian representatives in government, and the highest offices - President, Speaker of Parliament and Prime Minister - must be occupied by Christian, Shia Muslim and Sunni Muslim candidates respectively.

Men are now the downtrodden sex
1 December 2016read ...
Cassie Jaye, feminist (and mother of a son) reluctantly admits women's fight for equality has gone too far.
According to the Higher Education Policy Institute, ‘a boy born in 2016 will be 75 per cent less likely to attend university than his sister if the present trends continue’.
That’s no feminist victory, it’s a terrifying prediction which will have widespread ramifications, not just for men in the workplace, but for relationships between men and women as well.
Here’s another disturbing statistic: across the UK and Republic of Ireland, men are three times more likely to take their own lives than women, according to the Samaritans.
And yet women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression.

It would be "sensible" not to appoint men

Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom: Men should not be nannies because they may be paedophiles
14 July 2016 read ...
Andrea Leadsom has suggested men should not be hired to look after young children because they may be paedophiles.
During a discussion on the challenges faced by parents, the newly-appointed Environment Secretary said it would be "sensible" not to appoint males for childcare duties.

Close paternal bond linked to lower likelihood of behavioural problems in children
22 November 2016 read ...
Fathers who are emotionally involved with their children and feel confident as a parent are less likely to raise offspring with behavioural problems, research suggests.
A new study from Oxford University found that a father's emotional attachment and strong bond with a child - as opposed to how much practical childcare they carried out - had the strongest effect on whether a child suffered problems.

Redbridge councillor says Muslim women need greater support in politics
1 November 2016read ...
The Labour party needs to ensure it is a space for Muslim women, or it risks missing out on their skills and talents, a councillor has argued.
Cllr Farah Hussain, ward member for Valentines, says being a Muslim woman in the party is well aligned with the party’s values. “There’s no reason that you can’t do both,” she told the Recorder.
“I think they fit in well together in theory – the values of justice and equality are also important in my faith. “But, in reality, because the party is so decentralised, it does mean that pockets of Muslim men have imported their style of politics into the party.
Cllr Hussain, who is also the cabinet member for housing, says she has received many messages of support for raising the issue of discrimination within the party.
She is calling for equality and diversity training to be made mandatory for all constituency Labour parties and groups

Muslim women 'stopped from becoming Labour councillors'
5 February 2016read ...
A Muslim women's group has written to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn claiming women have been stopped from becoming councillors by Muslim men in the party.
Muslim Women's Network UK demanded an inquiry into "systematic misogyny displayed by significant numbers of Muslim male local councillors".
"They don't like women to be heard, to be empowered," it told BBC Newsnight.Labour said it had the best record of any of the parties in selecting female and ethnic minority candidates.
They appeared to point to a pattern of obstruction from within Labour Muslim ranks and back up Muslim Women's Network UK's complaints of sabotage.

Islamic association offering breakfast to the homeless in new charity initiative
9 March 2016read ...
An Islamic association is offering breakfast to the homeless in Waltham Forest in a bid to change perceptions about Muslims in the community.
The Waltham Forest Islamic Association (WFIA) held its first session from 9am to 11am on Saturday (March 5) at its hall in Grove Road, Walthamstow.
It hopes to continue this on the first Saturday of each month and depending on how successful they are it could take place more regularly.
Abdul Majid, vice president of the association, said he hoped the initiative would show the public what Islam really stands for.

Probe launched into councillors' Facebook exchange
22 January 2015read ...
A complaint has been made about the conduct of Peter Barnett, chair of the council's planning committee, after swore at Cllr Shabana Dhedhi during a late-night online exchange on Facebook.
Mr Barnett represents Wood Street ward and has served as a councillor since 2006. As well as chairing the planning committee, he also sits on the staffing committee.
A spokesperson for the Labour party said the language used during the conversation is "not condoned" by the group. He added: "We can confirm that we have received a formal complaint regarding Cllr Barnett's comments. “We are currently investigating the matter and will undertake disciplinary procedures where necessary."

To find out more about the Islamic association association and to donate to the breakfast sessions, visit the website: http://wfia.org.uk/

Muslim Women's Network UKmwnuk
MWN-UK works within a framework of human rights, justice and Islamic feminism.
We aim to be member focused, inclusive and accountable in all that we do.
We are committed to gender equality and value diversity.
We are independent from all established political, governmental and religious institutions.
We recognise that networks provide a mechanism for sharing knowledge, raising the profile of individuals, organisations and issues, and influencing policy and attitudes, and for building a critical mass of voices.

The National Diversity Awardsmore ...
"Diversity is the one true thing we have in common... Lets celebrate it together"
These awards are for people who inspire other individuals through their work, through their commitment to helping others, through their infectious personalities and through adversity.
The UK has taken such an event to their hearts, with thousands of nominations being received each year, all of which focus on the unsung diversity heroes of our nation.
The National Diversity Awards is a significant occasion; it has opened up opportunities and gave people a platform to spread a positive message. This year’s awards will continue to recognise those from deprived areas and promote the phenomenal work that they do during 2016.

BBC drama boss, Ben Stephenson says: 'There aren't enough gay characters on TV,' and promises to commission more homosexual storylines27 February 2014 read ...
Mr Stephenson, BBC drama controller since 2008, who is himself gay, called on writers to come forward with more stories which focus on homosexuality. He called on writers to come forward with more stories which focus on homosexuality.
Gay author Tom Rob Smith is writing a new drama about a gay spy for the BBC.

2007 - Waltham Forest Council senior management have a clear commitment to doing more to support LGBT equality in the workplace. kaleidoscope ...

2007 - Waltham Forest Council senior management have a clear commitment to doing more to support LGBT equality in the workplace.
kaleidoscope ... saved copy

The politics of extremism

Brain scans show social exclusion creates jihadists, say researchers
6 Jan 2019 read ...
International studies of young Muslim men show that radicalisation follows a sense of isolation from society
University College London (UCL) researchers were part of an international team that used neuroimaging techniques to map how the brains of radicalised individuals respond to being socially marginalised. The findings, they claim, confirm that exclusion is a leading factor in creating violent jihadists.
The research challenges the prevailing belief among western policymakers that other variables, such as poverty, religious conservatism and even psychosis, are dominant drivers of jihadism. “This finally dispels such wrongheaded ideas,” said the study’s co-lead author, Nafees Hamid of UCL. “The first ever neuroimaging study on a radicalised population shows extreme pro-group behaviour seems to intensify after social exclusion.”
The findings, they claim, confirm that exclusion is a leading factor in creating violent jihadists.
The research challenges the prevailing belief among western policymakers that other variables, such as poverty, religious conservatism and even psychosis, are dominant drivers of jihadism. “This finally dispels such wrongheaded ideas,” said the study’s co-lead author, Nafees Hamid of UCL. “The first ever neuroimaging study on a radicalised population shows extreme pro-group behaviour seems to intensify after social exclusion.”

Racism radicalized me
6 November 2017read …
The British-born jihadi bride who was married to the most senior American member of ISIS has revealed that racism led to her wedding the high-ranking official.
Tania Georgelas, 33, said she became radicalized through the bigotry she experienced growing up in London.
The British-Bangladeshi woman detailed how people would throw rocks through her family’s window. Such experiences helped to fuel her hatred for the West and began her radicalization as a youth.
'I faced a lot of racism,' she told The Atlantic in an interview released on Friday. 'I was looking for a way to retaliate, and I wanted honor again.'

Far-right terror threat 'growing' in UK as four plots foiled
26 February 2018read ...
The retiring head of counter-terrorism policing in the UK has warned of the growing threat of far-right terrorism.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, who will retire from the Met Police next month, said four extreme-right terror plots were disrupted last year.
Ten Islamist-inspired plots have been foiled since March last year, he added.
In a speech made at Policy Exchange, the Met Police's Mr Rowley also warned that far-right extremists are working in similar ways to Islamist extremists. He said they create intolerance, exploit grievances, and generate distrust of state institutions.
One of the four alleged far-right plots disrupted was that of white supremacist Ethan Stables.

.Government launch plan to tackle racial inequality in 'hotspot' borough Waltham Forest
11 October 2017read …
Waltham Forest is one of 20 areas across the UK where measures will be taken to tackle racial inequalities under new government plans.
Mentoring schemes and traineeships for people from ethnic minority backgrounds aged 16 to 24 could be introduced in the borough under measures announced by Prime Minister Theresa May today (Tuesday, October 10)..

'Waltham Forest is Islamist terror offender hotspot' new report claims
7 March 2017 read …
Waltham Forest has been named as a hotspot for Islamist-inspired terror offenders in a new report.
The study, published by human rights think tank The Henry Jackson Society, found the number of Islamism-related terror offences in the has UK nearly doubled between 2010 and 2015.

British Muslims feel ‘counted out’ of mainstream society, says Baroness Warsi
01 September 2017read …
A lawyer, Baroness Warsi, who was previously a minister in the Foreign Office, and Minister for Faith and Communities in the Coalition Gov­ernment, said that, despite some signs of progress, “I still feel like every day I’m having to face a loyalty test.”
Despite the presence of young, well-integrated Muslims in popular culture, such as the pop star Zayn Malik, or the winner of The Great British Bake Off, Nadiya Hussain, Muslims were still “sick to death of being counted out” of mainstream society.
Fewer than a tenth of one per cent of the three million Muslims living in the UK had anything to do with jihadism, she said, and yet the Government’s engagement with this diverse community was seen solely through the prism of counter-terrorism.
“There are far more Muslim doc­tors in the NHS than there are Muslim terrorists,” she said. “We are more likely to be life-savers rather than life-takers. This policy of disengagement is fundamentally wrong.”

Waltham Forest Council has been named one of the best places to work for lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people.
5th February 2013read ...
The authority was placed 63rd on gay rights charity Stonewall’s 2013 list of the 100 best employers of gay staff.
Councillor Mark Rusling, cabinet member for economic development and corporate resources, said: “I am extremely pleased with the result this year, especially as it is the highest we have ever been ranked in the seven years that the council has entered the index

Kaleidoscope (LGBT staff network)2007kaleidoscope ...saved copy
Waltham Forest Council senior management have a clear commitment to doing more to support LGBT equality in the workplace.
“Getting into the Stonewall Top 100 is great news for Waltham Forest and a real testament to our commitment towards making the organisation as open and inclusive as possible."

Muslim job-seekers ARE disadvantaged, Government admits
13 January 2017read ...
Muslims are held back in the jobs market, the Government admits — saying universities and job centres could play a big role in tackling inequality.
Britain’s 2.7 million Muslims were found to have the highest levels of disadvantage in finding work and face significant pay gaps compared with those who identify as Christian.

This is why young European Muslims are joining Isis
20 August 2017read …
One factor common amongst these attackers is their youth
The vile actions of these attackers bear no relation to Islam, Isis recruits are not Muslims only.
What allures these young people to abandon their relatively prosperous lives in a free society to join a vicious band of nihilists?
Counter-narratives do have an important role to play, when seeking to re-engage those already susceptible.
The world must offer a positive call to action – a clear articulation of a shared identity and sense of belonging.
Socio-economic and socio-political factors, are key drivers for extremism.
Islamophobia, disproportionate levels of unemployment, discrimination, poor housing and educational disadvantage are used as powerful tools for Isis to recruit frustrated young people who do not have sense of belonging.
It is not by choice that the vast majority of European Muslims live in social enclaves, rather this segregation is largely a product of social and economic exclusion. Isis offer these disenfranchised young people a highly seductive subculture – a cultural community and a new life that is emotionally rewarding.
States across Europe needs to invest in young Muslims, create job opportunities and bring prosperity to their lives, leading to better economic and social integration. This is not to say that Muslims should be treated favourably, rather equally.
Despite the outrage that we feel, our societies must stand together

Extreme Islam: What makes a young British woman turn to Salafism?
27 November 2016read ...
They’re heavily veiled, believe in polygamy and have to follow thousands of rules. Yet increasing numbers of young and educated British women are converting to Salafism.
I’ve witnessed for myself how Salafi preachers convey this sense of simplicity and authenticity. At every lesson I attended, the teachers rarely strayed from quoting or paraphrasing the words of the scriptures or of famous Islamic scholars. In fact, the phrase “I think” is banned from the Salafi teacher’s lexicon: all points must be framed by the Qur’an, hadith or words of a respected scholar. Even the rules that shape their lives are presented as rooted in “authentic” Islamic texts. They may be harsh in a 21st-century context, but they leave no room for doubt. And that’s the attraction: complete and utter certainty. Having such a clear sense of purpose in life was undoubtedly fulfilling for the women I interviewed. “Subhanallah [glory to God]!” said Maryam, a university student in her mid-twenties. “I feel more at peace and tranquil, in that I am trying my utmost to implement the religion because I have evidence to support me.”
In their classes, they’re taught that homosexuality is an abomination, that females should stay in the home and that non-believers face going to hell for eternity

Engineering's stark racial inequalities revealed by report
26 December 2016read ...
Being black or minority ethnic bigger barrier to employment than any other factor finds Royal Academy of Engineering
The analysis found that 71% of white engineering graduates are in full-time jobs within six months of leaving university, compared to just 52% of Asian students and 46% of black students.
Black engineering graduates are less likely to find jobs than white students with lower second or third class degrees, according to a report that reveals stark inequalities within the profession.

BME educational achievement
14 Apr, 2016 read ...
An Institute for Public Policy Research report last year highlighted the huge gulf between rising BME educational achievement and the persistent ethnic employment gap. Indeed there is a whole shelf full of research going back decades into the static levels of employment discrimination faced by people of colour.

Female MP abuse 'puts women off politics' says Diane Abbott
15 February 2017read ...
Women may be deterred from entering politics because of abuse suffered by female MPs, Diane Abbott says.
The shadow home secretary said she was speaking out about her own experiences after recently receiving a series of threats and insults.Writing in the Guardian Ms Abbott described how last week was a "perfect storm" of abusive events which had prompted her to write about the issue.
"I receive racist and sexist abuse online on a daily basis. I have had rape threats, death threats, and am referred to routinely as a bitch and/or nigger, and am sent horrible images on Twitter," she wrote.
She said she had never written about it during her 30 years in politics but "last week was a perfect storm". "There were journalists outside my house on a daily basis; a Tory councillor was suspended for retweeting an image of me as an ape with lipstick. And accompanying it all, a crescendo of blatantly racist and sexist abuse online.

Black and minority ethnic youth unemployment "rose by 50% under the coalition"
11 March 2015read ...
The number of BAME 16 to 24-year-olds out of work for more than 12 months has increased to 41,000 - accounting for one-fifth of youth unemployment - according to an analysis of official figures by the House of Commons Library and the Office for National Statistics.
The significance of this rise is thrown in to sharp relief when compared to the trends for young white people. There was a 2% fall in long-term unemployment among young white people, resulting in an overall fall in long-term youth unemployment of 1%.
The Shadow Justice Secretary Sadiq Khan said: “These figures are astonishing."

Muslim women 'stopped from becoming Labour councillors'
5 February 2016read ...
A Muslim women's group has written to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn claiming women have been stopped from becoming councillors by Muslim men in the party.

Candidates with Muslim-sounding names three times more likely to be passed over for jobs
6 February 2017read ...
Muslims are facing so much discrimination when applying for management jobs that many even consider changing their names to get ahead, an investigation has discovered.
It found that someone with a Muslim-sounding name on their CV is three times less likely to get an interview. Diversity coach Sneha Khilay: some recruitment officers who had attended her courses said, ‘Please don’t send us any foreign names.’

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men” (Frederick Douglass, 1817-1895)
Dr Andrew Rowland: Churchill Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust
25/04/2014 read ...
Frederick Douglass was an African-American statesman who, having escaped from slavery, became a leader of the abolitionist movement and campaigned throughout his life for equality of all people regardless of background, saying, “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong”

Steve Hilton: David Cameron's former strategy chief tells Theresa May to quit over terrorism 'failures'5 June 2017 read …
David Cameron’s former strategy chief called for Theresa May to resign as he launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister’s record on terrorism.
Steve Hilton, who worked under the former Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street, criticised Mrs May’s record on security after the third terror attack in Britain in 10 weeks.

Cherie Blair's Muslim convert sister claims DRUGS and not Islam are to blame for terrorism - as she insists attackers are 'young, disenfranchised addicts'5 June 2017 read …
Lauren Booth appeared on This Morning claiming that the cause of the recent spate of terror attacks was because of drugs and not Islam religion.
The half sister of former Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie, 49, who converted to Islam in 2010 following the breakdown of her first marriage, blamed the atrocities on 'young, disenfranchised drug addicts'.

Every secondary school in England offered mental health training in bid to end 'stigma' and help children 9 January 2017read ...
Theresa May, the Prime Minister, wants to tackle mental illness in classrooms, at work and in communities
Every secondary school in Britain will be offered training on how to identify and help children who are suffering mental health issues amid rising concerns about cyber-bullying, Theresa May will announce.
The Prime Minister will use a landmark speech to vow to tackle the "completely unacceptable stigma" surrounding mental illness as she vows to end the "hidden injustice" by transforming the way it is dealt with.
She will say that mental illness must be tackled in the classrooms, at work and in communities to prevent it from becoming "entrenched" in society.

From Reluctant Gangsters, John Pitts 2007read ..
"As far as they are concerned we don’t exist, and even if we do, we are just some kind of problem that won’t go away.
I sometimes think the best thing we could do would be to go out and vote and demand that our politicians listen to what’s happening to us."

The Institute of Community Cohesion Report, Breaking down the walls of silence2007.read ...
Professor Ted Cantle said: “Many members of the Muslim communities feel unrepresented by the Council and isolated from other statutory agencies.
The report continues: “Similarly, Council officials from the Muslim communities are perceived by many to be partisan, and we understand that some have been placed under inappropriate pressure by Councillors or other members of their own communities.”

Hate crimes soared by 41% after Brexit vote, official figures reveal13 October 2016read …Home Office figures appear to correlate with previous reports of a rise in post-Brexit hate crime.
There was a sharp increase in the number of racially or religiously aggravated crimes recorded by police in England and Wales following the EU referendum.
In September 2016, the National Police Chiefs’ Council released figures which showed the number of incidents rose by 58 per cent in the week following the vote to leave the EU.
“Nobody in this country should have to live their lives enduring fear, intimidation or – in a third of cases – violence because of who they are,” said Mark Hamilton, the National Police Chiefs’ lead on hate crime.
The violence seen after the Brexit vote was not restricted to racial or religious hostility, according to an LGBT charity.
Galop, which supports victims of homophobic violence, said homophobic attacks rose by 147 per cent in the three months following the Brexit vote.

The Waltham Forest Prevent Programme - Gangnam
Styleread ...Waltham Forest has a legal duty to work to reduce the threat of terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism

Children's extremism survey added to anxiety in Muslim community
5 June 2015read ...
Mosque leaders across Waltham Forest have said they are "extremely concerned" about a questionnaire handed out to school children which was branded Islamophobic.
The Islamic Human Rights Commision said the questionnaire was Islamaphobic as it was geared towards Muslims, but the council denied the anonymous questionnaire was directed at pupils of any particular faith.

Waltham Forest council leader, Chris Robbins, said: “Waltham Forest is one of the most diverse areas of the country in one of the most diverse cities on earth, and promoting community cohesion is very much a priority for the Council.

Waltham Forest boy, 15, among teenagers charged with terror offences
25 February 2017read …
A teenager from Waltham Forest, who is just 15 years old and cannot be named for legal reasons, was one of five teenagers arrested on Monday, February 20, after an operation by the Met’s Counter-Terrorism Command.

London schoolboy, 9, stood up in class and declared allegiance to IS
14 February 2017 read …
A nine-year-old boy stood up in class at a school in London and pledged his allegiance to Islamic State after becoming obsessed with watching beheading videos.

Fury after primary pupils are asked to complete radicalisation-seeking surveys
28 May 2015read ...
Waltham Forest council has been piloting the scheme in five primary schools with large Muslim intakes. The questionnaire, circulated among year 6 pupils, asks how much they trust the police and people from another race or religion.
The programme, known as Brit – Building Resilience Through Integration & Trust – is targeted at nine- to 11-year-olds and involves lesson plans and workbooks about identity and belonging.
The charity Family Action is delivering the programme to schools.

Family Action
Building stronger
familiesread ...
Family Action transforms lives by providing practical, emotional and financial support to those who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation across England.
We have been building stronger families since 1869, and today work with over 45,000 families through over 125 community-based services. Thousands more are supported with financial assistance through education and welfare grants programmes.
Our innovative services reach out to those in need, we strengthen families and communities, build skills and resilience and improve the life chances of children and adults.

Waltham Forest Council of Mosques
WFCOM statement denounces attempt to implement BRIT program
17 December 2015read ...
WFCOM have issued a statement to denounce the attempt by the Waltham Forest Council to bring in an anti-terror programme into schools on the back of a stabbing at Leytonstone station two weeks ago.
Whilst applauding the police and others for their bravery in dealing with the situation in Leytonstone, Waltham Forest Council brought a resolution to the full council meeting which included the following:
8. That, while there have been acknowledged issues in Waltham Forest, Prevent and the Council’s work in schools through programmes such as BRIT are intended to ensure that each resident feels safe, respected and part of a cohesive community. At their best, they do just that and should be supported.
It appears that the Waltham Forest Council will go to any lengths to implement their controversial PREVENT/BRIT programmes by somehow suggesting that by targetting effectively Muslim schoolchildren, incidents such as the one at Leytonstone station can be prevented.Read the statement by WFCOM here

Children's extremism survey added to anxiety in Muslim community
5 June 2015read ...
Mosque leaders across Waltham Forest have said they are "extremely concerned" about a questionnaire handed out to school children which was branded Islamophobic.
The Islamic Human Rights Commision said the questionnaire was Islamaphobic as it was geared towards Muslims, but the council denied the anonymous questionnaire was directed at pupils of any particular faith.

Cllr Marie Pye, Waltham Forest’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing:“Getting into the Stonewall Top 100 is great news for Waltham Forest and a real testament to our commitment towards making the organisation as open and inclusive as possible."

2007 - Waltham Forest Council senior management have a clear commitment to doing more to support LGBT equality in the workplace. kaleidoscope ...

Deal offered in university pensions row
13 March 2018
read ...
An agreement has been reached in the university strike - with union leaders and employers announcing a deal over threatened pension cuts.
If the terms are accepted at a meeting of union representatives on Tuesday, the strike will be suspended.
The agreement would mean a new, independent re-evaluation of the pension deficit and temporary arrangements to tackle the funding gap.
The strike has disrupted classes at more than 60 universities.
But there have been calls to reject the deal from some strikers - with an open letter to the University and College Union leadership calling the agreement "completely unacceptable".

University strikes to continue despite proposed deal between union leaders and employers
13 March 2018read …
'The strike action for this week remains on and we will now make detailed preparations for strikes over the assessment and exam period'
University strikes are set to continue after union members rejected a proposed deal over pensions.
The University and College Union (UCU) voted against a deal made by union bosses and employers last night after it faced widespread opposition.
Lecturers and university staff across the UK will enter their 12th day of strike action tomorrow – and the union will begin preparing walkouts for the exam period.

Council pensions black hole grows to £17 billion, soaring 20% in a yearRecord shortfall could lead to higher taxes or lower services.
16 March 2018
read ...
The black hole in the pension funds of London’s councils has widened dramatically to a record £17.1 billion.
An Evening Standard analysis of the accounts of all 32 boroughs for the last financial year shows that the deficit surged by almost £3.5 billion, or more than 25 per cent, in only 12 months.
It also means that the shortfall has swelled by more than two thirds since it was first revealed by the Standard in 2009. The analysis reveals that the deficits at some individual councils is now approaching £1 billion.

Warning: taxpayers may be forced to bail out councils such as Waltham Forest due to 'weak' pension funds.
19 December 2014read ... The Centre for Policy Studies has highlighted the authority is in danger of being unable to meet its liabilities, raising the possibility of a bail-out by taxpayers.
Michael Johnson, Centre for Policy studies: “Indeed, some funds may already be beyond the point of no return. This is partly the result of dismally incompetent governance.”

Raise state pension age to 70 by 2040 or face £15bn tax bill, says think tank
16 January 2017 read …
Workers' income tax burden will have to increase by £15bn a year unless state pension age rises to 70 by 2040, a think-tank has said.
The UK has reached a "tipping point" in 2017, and there will now be a growing number of non-workers supported by every working person, a report found.
The Resolution Foundation said that the cost of benefits for the retired population, which is paid for from the taxes of working people, will now get larger, having fallen over the past thirty years.

Pension deficits reach a record £459bn as interest rate cut bites
13 September 2016 read ...
Britain’s generous defined benefit pensions have plumbed further depths during August, reaching another record-breaking deficit of £459.4bn as the scramble for bond assets and the interest rate cut sent their liabilities soaring.The remaining 6,000 defined benefit schemes can now meet just 76.1pc of their obligations to pensioners, according to the sums used by the Pension Protection Fund, which rescues ailing schemes. This is the worst funding ratio since the PPF started publishing figures in 2006.

FTSE 100 firms' pension deficit soars, says LCP
16 August 2016read ...
The combined pension funds deficit for companies in the FTSE 100 has seen huge increases in the past year, according to pensions expert LCP.
LCP, in its annual report on the pensions market, said that by the end of July, the deficit was an estimated £46bn, as against £25bn a year earlier.
And this month, the deficit has widened further to £63bn, LCP told the BBC.

Waltham Forest Council scooped the 'Best Return on UK Equities’ category at the Local Government Chronicle awards earlier this month.
20 December 2011
read ...
Conservative Cllr Nick Buckmaster, chairs the council's Pension Fund Committee said: "We’ve made some really positive progress with the Pension Fund over the last few years in what are quite frankly treacherous circumstances

Waltham Forest pension fund deficit £403 million

London borough of Waltham Forest pension fund pension fund annual report 2014/15read ...
An actuarial valuation of the London Borough of Waltham Forest Pension Fund was carried out as at 31 March 2013 to determine the contribution rates for the period 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2017.
On the basis of the assumptions adopted, the Fund’s assets of £600 million represented 60% of the Fund’s past service liabilities of £1,003 million (the “Funding Target”) at the valuation date. The deficit at the valuation was therefore £403 million.

The real question is whether the fund has been run efficiently, and made the gains, when the market was rising, that it should have done.
And on that, at present, the jury is out.
The basic facts about the recent performance of the LBWF pension fund
are as follows:

March

2001

2002

2003

2004

2007

2008

Deficit (£m)

21.7

47.0

166.4

138.7

200.2

228.4

Solvency of fund (%)

94

87

60

70

70

70

In March 2011, in response to questions , Martin Esom, Council's Chief Executive said: "In terms of the financial statements of what happened to the CLaSS teachers' pensions in 2004, we have taken legal advice and the Council cannot disclose this information to you. The statements are confidential and will contain personal data within the meaning of the Data Protection Act 1998 and it would not be in accordance with the data principles under the Act to disclose this information to you. Further, this would exempt disclosure under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000."

Universities accused of 'importing Sports Direct model' for lecturers' pay
16 November 2016 read ...
One of the most highly skilled and prestigious professions in Britain, university teaching, is now dominated by zero-hours contracts, temp agencies and other forms of precarious work, the Guardian can reveal.
The Guardian investigation has led trade unionists to accuse vice-chancellors of “importing the Sports Direct model” into British universities.
It has also prompted the National Union of Students to warn that low-paid and overstressed tutors may not be providing quality education

University bosses' pay 'inflation-busting'
11 February 2016read ...
Vice-chancellors at UK universities received average salary packages of £272,000 last year - up by some £12,000 on the previous year, a study suggests.
The University and College Union research indicated universities spent thousands more on hotels, flights and other expenses for vice-chancellors.
The UCU says staff pay is held down but bosses get "inflation-busting" rises.

Student tuition fees set to rise as Government unveils university teaching reforms
15 May 2016read ...
A series of new Government measures being introduced to improve teaching in UK universities could result in dramatic changes to higher education, including higher tuition fees for students, MPs have announced.
Plans to force universities to publish information about the amount of time students spend in classes and lectures, as well as the jobs they are offered and average graduate earnings are due to be revealed in the White Paper on Monday.

University pensions black hole 'even worse than thought'
25 October 2013 read ...
In its status report this month the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) put its fund deficit at £7.9bn. But the analysis methods that private companies use put it at £10.5bn.
There are concerns that such a significant hole in what is the biggest pension fund in the country could lead to a rise in tuition fees for students

University bosses' pay 'inflation-busting'
11 February 2016read ...
Vice-chancellors at UK universities received average salary packages of £272,000 last year - up by some £12,000 on the previous year, a study suggests.
The University and College Union research indicated universities spent thousands more on hotels, flights and other expenses for vice-chancellors.
The UCU says staff pay is held down but bosses get "inflation-busting" rises.

David Cameron warns of 'legacy of debt'
12 January 2015 read ...
Prime Minister David Cameron is to urge voters in the forthcoming general election not to pass on a "legacy of debt" to their children: "the writing is on the wall" for the country if it fails to deal with its debts.

Londoners face working until they are 81 to maintain living standards during retirement
2 March 2016read ...
Some Londoners face working until their 81st birthday to maintain their current living standards when they retire, research suggests. It comes after the Government opened the door to a major shake-up of state pensions.
The announcement led to fears some people would have to work for even longer than currently planned to get their state pension.

From a letter to the Age Discrimination Scrutiny Panel
25 January 2005 read ...

9.

"Does the term “age discrimination” refer to those employees, possibly single parents returning to work for the first time and on very low incomes, who can not afford to pay in to a pension fund. These people will, in time, become old and retire impoverished with either little pension or no pension at all.
An added age related feature of this form of age discrimination is that as this group becomes older, their earnings increase and pension payments can begin. However, the pension pay in years reduce each year, with consequent increasing inability to buy back years or to add to their pension by paying in to an AVC.
Does the term “age discrimination” refer to an employee who, having no pension, retires on ill health grounds, and receives no pension benefit?"

Exclusive investigation: England manager Sam Allardyce for saleread ...
27 September 2016
Sam Allardyce used his position as England manager to negotiate a £400,000 deal and offered advice to businessmen on how to “get around” FA rules on player transfers, The Telegraph can disclose.
Before he had even held his first training session as England’s new head coach, Allardyce negotiated a deal with men purporting to represent a Far East firm that was hoping to profit from the Premier League’s billion-pound transfer market.
He agreed to travel to Singapore and Hong Kong as an ambassador and explained to the “businessmen” how they could circumvent Football Association rules which prohibit third parties “owning” players.

Eight Premier League managers accused of taking transfer bungs
28 September 2016read ...
Eight current and former Premier League managers stand accused of receiving “bungs” for player transfers after The Daily Telegraph found widespread evidence of corruption in the English game.
Football agents were filmed by undercover reporters boasting about how many managers they had paid, with one agent saying that in football, “everything is under the table”.
Later this week the Telegraph will also disclose the name of an assistant manager at a leading club who was filmed accepting a £5,000 cash payment from undercover reporters posing as representatives of a Far Eastern firm that wanted to invest in players.

Lack of money' prompts care firms to end council contracts
20 March 2017read …
Care firms have cancelled contracts with 95 UK councils, saying they cannot deliver services for the amount they are being paid, a BBC Panorama investigation has found.
Some firms said they could not recruit or retain the staff they needed.
The Local Government Association said it was the result of "historic under-funding" and an ageing population.
The government declined an interview but said English councils had received £9.25bn for social care.

Biggest annual rise in deaths for almost fifty years prompts warnings of crisis in elderly care
16 February 2016read ...
Annual rise in deaths prompts warnings of crisis in elderly care
England and Wales has suffered the biggest annual rise in deaths for almost fifty years, according to new figures which last night prompted warnings of an urgent crisis in care of the elderly.
Advisors to Public Health England (PHE) said trends over the last four years suggest the rise in deaths may now be the highest since World War Two.

Relatives raised serious concerns and staff were not properly trained at home where manager was absent for 10 months in one year.
16 April 2015 read ...
Church Lane in Walthamstow is one of Outward's four registered care homes in the borough and looks after people with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and complex needs.
The home has been rated as inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) by failing to meet standards in three of five categories: safety, effectiveness and management of services.

Charity Commission News
18 December 2015read ...
Charities with dominant individuals often experience serious governance problems. Make sure you and your fellow trustees are making decisions properly and collectively.
Financial mismanagement and abuse continue to feature heavily in our case work. Read the report to learn about the systems and controls that can help protect your charity against these problems.

E.ON ‘paid £6m to Age UK in return for the charity promoting expensive tariffs to pensioners’
4 February 2016read ...
Britain’s largest elderly care charity has encouraged pensioners to sign up for expensive energy tariffs in return for £6million a year, according to an investigation.
Age UK linked up with power giant E.ON last year to recommend a special energy package for pensioners typically costing £1,049 a year, which was £245 more than on the company’s cheapest 2015 rate.

Just who do they think they are?
You pay their wages. But the so-called public servants who run councils, the NHS and police are uniting to keep you in the dark about their greed, incompetence and corruption
10 December 2015read...
Public sector bureaucrats yesterday united in a ‘sinister’ attempt to crush the public’s right to know about scandals in the NHS, police, town halls and education.

Local and not so local talent

Holly Rose Thomashttps://hollyrosethomas.com/
Holly sings jazz standards, ballads, love songs and pop songs from the last few decades as well as her own original music, all delivered through her naturally folky style. She accompanies herself with gentle acoustic guitar to create a beautiful relaxed ambience.
Her sweet high voice is striking and impressive, and her joy at performing is evident and contagious.
Some of her original music is based directly on the spiritual masterpiece A Course in Miracles and all of it is inspired by the experiences she has received through it.

Rhiannon Armstrong
Instructions for Empathetic Living
12 January 2018http://rhiannonarmstrong.net/
Rhiannon makes engaging artworks which includes performance, public engagement, installation and research. She undertakes consultancy work specialising in interaction and accessibility.

Breakfast around the world
October 23, 2017https://expatatable.com/breakfast
Sahebzadah Carole loves to visit different places, smell unfamiliar smells, meet new people, and discover other ways of life. She says: "When I travel I feel my mind opening and I become more tolerant and understanding. One of my biggest pleasures while travelling is experiencing the local food, tasting and smelling spices and ingredients I didn’t know and looking at how people relate to food, how they cook and where and when they eat."

The Down to Earth Diva in WalthamstowHer website
is replaced byhttp://buskinlondon.com/act/down-earth-diva
Soprano Nicola Mills is The Down to Earth Diva. Her motto is 'opera for all'. She sings on the streets, at all events, for charity, and brings quality singing in a down to earth and friendly way, taking the 'posh' out of opera. download Nicola's biography

Philistine Waltham Forest Council stops Opera singer busking in Walthamstow High Street12th July 2017 read …
AN OPERA singer who was interrupted mid-performance and told she could not sing in public is calling on the council to change its rules.
Nicola Mills was singing in Walthamstow High Street when she claims an officer from Waltham Forest Council stopped her and told her she would need to pay a fee to busk.

A Croatian in Waltham Forest
Monday, 1 February 2016
Croatian author, Milka Sculac Sennett, whom English has adopted, has published a number of Walthamstow based short stories online. Very interesting, locally based person, with a story to tell. http://www.milkasculacsennett.com/section766845.html

Religion, Politics and Society

Reimagining Britain

PL84U AL-SUFFA wins award, again.

Significant Threads of Faiths' for the World Interfaith Harmony Week 2018

Standing up against 'Punish a Muslim Day' in Waltham Forest and Redbridge
3rd April 2018read …"Defiance, dignity and solidarity."
Those are the words faith leaders in Waltham Forest and Redbridge want people to remember as they try to tackle racism in wake of 'Punish a Muslim Day.'
People were horrified to receive letters calling on them to carry out acts of violence against Muslims on April 3. The letters lists violent acts with 'points' awarded for performing them.
Today, they all signed a statement condemning the attacks and urging everyone to stand up to Islamaphobia.
Community organisations including Stand Up to Racism, Waltham Forest Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND) and the Waltham Forest Islamic Association also came together with residents and mosques to organise a display of unity.
The day began with a gathering in Walthamstow Town Centre.
Saira Mir, one of the key organisers, from Walthamstow, said: “We are all standing together in solidarity, as a gesture of love and friendship."

Sajid Javid embroiled in bitter row with Muslim Council of Britain over Islamophobia
3 June 2018
read ...
Home Secretary Sajid Javid was today embroiled in a bitter a row with one of Britain’s biggest Muslim bodies over allegations of Islamophobia in the Conservative Party.
Mr Javid hit out at the Muslim Council of Britain, accusing it of harbouring members with unacceptable views on extremism.
He said the MCB, an umbrella body for 500 mosques, schools and associations in Britain, did not represent the country’s Muslim community.
His comments came after the MCB called for an inquiry into Islamophobia in the Tories, after a string of alleged incidents involving candidates and representatives of the party.

Archbishop Welby warns of moral and economic failure of the UK in new book Reimagining Britain
02 Mar 2018read ...
BREXIT could act as “a catalyst of British introspection, xenophobia, and self-pity”, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said.
In his new book, Reimagining Britain: Foundations for hope, which will be published next week, the Archbishop writes that “the cracks in society have begun to show, expressed in crime, in the growth of intolerance, and above all of an inward-turning. “Brexit risks becoming not merely Britain’s exit from the EU, but a catalyst of British introspection, xenophobia, and self-pity, if a self-regarding attitude leads to economic failure and international impotence, as well as being morally wrong in and of itself.”
Christian faith was “not left-wing or right-wing”, he said, and his book was not “pro- or anti-government”.
He ends his book by saying: “The UK grew from Christian roots: my hope is that in the future it rediscovers the power of the narrative that has shaped it for so long and set its values so deeply.”
His comments follow a government review of sharia, which said that a “culture of change” was needed in Muslim communities to acknowledge women’s civil rights.

Church of Englander would be shut down if it were a school, survivors’ lawyer tells final IICSA hearing
23 Mar 2018read ... THE Church of England is an “inappropriate” organisation to have charge or care of children and vulnerable adults, and would have been closed if it were a school, a lawyer representing survivors of clerical sex abuse has said

Freemasons' at Westminster

Two Freemasons' lodges operating secretly at Westminster 4 February 2018read …
Exclusive: Lodges for MPs and journalists are so covert even lobby reporters do not know members
Two Freemasons’ lodges set up for members of parliament and political journalists are continuing to operate secretly at Westminster, the Guardian has learned.
New Welcome Lodge, which recruits MPs, peers and parliamentary staff, and Gallery Lodge, established for members of the political press corps known as the lobby, both remain active, according to Freemasonry records.
A third lodge called the Alfred Robbins Lodge, which was also set up for journalists, also continues to meet regularly in London.
The identities of the members of these three lodges remain unknown outside the world of Freemasonry, however, and so discreet are the members of Gallery Lodge that few journalists working in the lobby appear to be aware of its existence.

Freemasons in Westminster ‘should declare membership’
5 February 2018read ...
The journalists’ union and a senior Conservative MP have expressed alarm at the disclosure that two Freemasons’ lodges have been operating secretly at Westminster.
The National Union of Journalists said both journalists and members of parliament should openly declare their membership of Freemasonry.What is Freemasonry?
When did Freemasonry begin?
The first grand lodge, established to govern Freemasonry in England and Wales, was formed in 1717, during a meeting at a pub in the City of London called the Goose and Gridiron. But in Scotland, a masonic lodge in Edinburgh has records to show that it has been in existence since at least 1599. Why are they so secretive?
Freemasonry models itself upon the fraternities of medieval stonemasons who would use secret words and symbols to recognise each others’ legitimacy. During some periods of history, Freemasons have needed to go underground to survive. But there are persistent suspicions they remain secretive in order to conceal the way in which they can assist each other in business.Is there any substance to these claims?
Such rumours are very rarely substantiated, and masons are expected to swear an oath that they will not be involved in “any act that may have a tendency to subvert the peace and good order of society, by paying due obedience to the laws of any state”.Is Freemasonry a religion?
No it is a secular movement, although new members are expected to acknowledge a belief in a God-like superior being. Anyone believing in a single deity may be admitted. Are the identities of all Freemasons kept secret?No, individual masons can declare themselves if they wish, and the names of senior officers of the brotherhood in England and Wales can be found in a masonic year book. However, a great many masons do not disclose their membership outside the brotherhood.

Is not Intolerance, itself, destructive?

Queen's chaplain resigns over cathedral Koran reading row saying he has a 'duty' to defend Christianity
22 January 2017read ...
The Rev Gavin Ashenden, who until this week was one of the 33 special chaplains to the Queen, said “There are things we should not tolerate because they are destructive. “I don’t accept the rather feeble accusation that intolerance is a bad thing.”

Muslim choir girls sing Arabic Christmas carols in Beirut 25 December 2016read ...see video ...The ensemble of around 40 girls can be seen in a video singing ‘Silent Night’ in Arabic at St Elie Greek Catholic Church, located in a majority Muslim neighbourhood of the city.

Spiritual abuse

Two-thirds of Christians in new survey say they have been spiritually abused
8 January 2018read …
TWO-thirds of Christian respondents to an online survey say that they have been spiritually abused, a study has revealed.
Academics from Bournemouth University, who carried out the survey on behalf of the Churches’ Child Protection Advisory Service (CCPAS), a safeguarding charity, received 1591 responses from Christians, 1002 of whom said that they had personally experienced spiritual abuse.
The study acknowledged that definitions of spiritual abuse are not clear cut, and suggests this lack of clarity may be a significant barrier to responding appropriately to its victims within the Church.

Church of England finds vicar guilty of spiritual abuse of 15-year-old boy
8 January 2018read …
The Church of England has found a vicar guilty of spiritually abusing a teenage boy, after putting him under “unacceptable pressure” during intensive prayer and Bible-study sessions in the boy’s bedroom.
In the first judgment of its kind, a C of E tribunal found that the Revd Timothy Davis, the vicar of Christ Church, Abingdon, in Oxfordshire, was guilty of misconduct under clergy disciplinary measures.
The ruling was published on Monday as an online survey found that two-thirds of 1,591 respondents said they had personally experienced spiritual abuse.

There’s a future for the Church if Evangelicals put the poor first
04 August 2017 read …
FOCUSED primarily on the needs of the wealthy, the Church of England is “complicit in the abandonment of the poor” and models the social inequality that it so often condemns, the Bishop of Burnley, the Rt Revd Philip North, told an Evangelical gathering last week. “Unless we start with the poor, the gospel we proclaim is a sham, an empty hypocrisy,” he told the New Wine meeting in Shepton Mallett, in a talk unsparing in its criticism of the Church’s structures, language, deployment, and culture. “The simple and hard truth is that, in the poorest parts of the country, we are withdrawing the preachers,” he said. “We are seeing the slow and steady withdrawal of church life from those communities where the poorest people in our nation live.”

Wood Street success - PL84U AL-SUFFA wins Bronze Medal

King honours winners of King Abdullah II Award for World Interfaith Harmony Week
Third prize went to the PL84U AL-SUFFA organization in the United Kingdom in appreciation of its efforts to provide meals, shelter, and company to the elderly, regardless of their beliefs.read …
Amman, April 30 (Petra) -- His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday patronized the King Abdullah II World Interfaith Harmony Week award ceremony.
During the ceremony, which took place at Husseiniya Palace, His Majesty presented the awards to four winners.
The World Interfaith Harmony Week was initiated by the King, who put it forward to the 56th session of the UN General Assembly, which unanimously adopted it.
First prize was awarded to the Calgary Interfaith Council in Canada, in recognition of its efforts to boost peaceful coexistence against extremism, bias and conflict.
The recipient of second prize was the International Forum Bosnia’s Centre for Interfaith Dialogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in recognition of their effort to launch a program in 2017 to celebrate interfaith dialogue.
Third prize went to the PL84U AL-SUFFA organization in the United Kingdom in appreciation of its efforts to provide meals, shelter, and company to the elderly, regardless of their beliefs.
The interfaith week, which began after the UN unanimously adopted the initiative of His Majesty in October 2010, is an annual platform to raise awareness and understanding between followers of the different faiths and promote dialogue and goodwill, through conducting activities and events that spread this message.
The ceremony was attended by HRH Prince Ghazi, King’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs and personal envoy, Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh, King’s Office Director and Muslim scholars and Christian religious men.
//Petra// A SH
30/4/2017 - 03:57:25 PM

Interfaith dialogue ‘needs more bite’
28 Apr 2017read ...
A “DEARTH of opportunity for difficult conversations to take place” has been highlighted in a new report from the Christian Muslim Forum (CMF), which calls for interfaith work with “teeth”.
The report, Casey Review: Integration and opportunity, by Mariam Sheikh Hakim, launched at Westminster Abbey on Monday, is based on discussions within the CMF, in response to Dame Louise Casey’s review of integration, which warned that segregation and social exclusion were at

Christian Muslim Forumread …
The Christian Muslim Forum is built on friendship between a group of Christians and Muslims, showing how faith is a catalyst for good relationships and welcomes the 'other'. This friendship began with a small group of Muslims and Christians working on the Archbishop of Canterbury's Initiative in Christian-Muslim Relations. This grew from Archbishop Carey's comments in 1997, "For the sake of the health of this country, we need to find ways in which members of our two communities can meet regularly together in a more structured way than has been possible up to now."

PM observes 'coming together' after Brexit in Easter messageread …
Theresa May has spoken of a "sense of people coming together" following the UK's vote to leave the EU. In her first Easter message as PM, she said people should feel "confident" about Christianity's role in society and free to speak about their faith.
Mrs May said "compassion, community and citizenship" are values we "all hold in common". "These are values that are visibly lived out every day by Christians as well as by people of other faiths or none," she said.
Mrs May also said the UK has a "strong tradition" of religious tolerance and freedom of speech. "We must be mindful of Christians and religious minorities around the world who do not enjoy these same freedoms," she said. "We must do more to stand up for the freedom of people of all religions to practise their beliefs openly and in peace and safety."

The country must "stand together" and defend Christian values.
Her comments echo those of predecessor David Cameron, who used last year's Easter message to say the country must "stand together" and defend Christian values.

Church 'regret' as trainees hold service in gay slang
4 February 2017read ...
A Church of England theological college has expressed regret after trainee priests held a service in the antiquated gay slang language Polari.
The service at the chapel of Westcott House in Cambridge was to commemorate LGBT history month.
The congregation was told the use of the lexicon was an attempt to "queer the liturgy of evening prayer".
But officials said it had not been authorised and was at variance with the doctrine and teaching of the church.

The Polari Bible
06 August 2015
read ...
Welcome to www.polaribible.org, the home of the Polari Bible. How bona to varda your dolly old eke.
Please feel free to quote, link and use the Polari Bible as you see fit, although we would ask that you include suitable attribution where appropriate.
Go forth and sin some more!

A difference in style and policy

Sadiq Khan is sworn in as Mayor of London
6 May 2016read ...
Mr Khan received a second sustained burst of applause when he introduced himself with: "My name is Sadiq Khan, I'm the mayor of London."
During an address lasting barely four minutes, Sadique Khan, the human rights lawyer-turned-politician, repeated his vows to be a "mayor for all Londoners" during the short, multi-faith service.
He said: "I want to start my mayoralty as I intend to go on. I want this to be the most transparent, honest and accessible administration London has ever seen."
Mr Khan said his "burning ambition" was for people all across the capital to have the same opportunities he enjoyed.

Sadiq Khan: What Labour can learn from my victory: we can’t ignore what voters want.
7 May 2016read ...
The party only wins when it faces outwards – and tackles the issues concerning all sections of society.
My promise now is to govern in the interests of all Londoners as a strong, pragmatic and independent-minded leader of our city. In planning my programme for the next four years, I have one burning ambition for London that will guide every decision I make – ensuring that all Londoners can have the same opportunities to get on in life that London gave me. Everyone – regardless of their background, wealth, race, faith, gender, sexual orientation or age – should be able to fulfil their potential and succeed.

The politics of religion and society

New anti-Semitism row for Labour as Walthamstow activist suspended
11 May 2015read ...
Labour has suspended a Walthamstow activist amid a new anti-Semitism controversy for the party. David Watson, a fundraising co-ordinator for the Walthamstow Labour Party, referred to Zionism as a “racist ideology” on Facebook.

The Jewish Chronicle Online
Labour suspends Walthamstow activist for antisemitic Facebook posts
May 6, 2016
read ...Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, said she was “very clear that we must show zero tolerance” to antisemitism in the constituency.
She said she would “expect and indeed be calling for the local leadership” to take action over the issue.

Cllr. Khan steps down amid talk of inadmissible intolerance
Nick Tiratsoo
13 April 2016 read ...
Word reaches me that earlier in the week Labour councillors were circulated with an e-mail which announced that Cllr. Ahsan Khan, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, had stepped down from the Cabinet, pending an independent investigation by the LBWF Monitoring Officer.
But the episode is certainly being taken very seriously, and that explains Khan’s actions. Clearly, it will be interesting to see who precisely the alleged intolerance was directed at.
A well placed source tells me that, at meetings on Prevent, mainstream Muslim councillors have expressed strong views about the Alhmadi sect.
The Almadis previously have been the subject of prejudice in the borough,
A report in the Evening Standard explains all:read ..

Comment
LBWF Chief Executive Martin Esom responds to my questions re the Cllr. Ahsan Khan affair
Nick Tiratsoo
May 12, 2016
Much of what he writes is self-evidently vague, and seems to have been written with the explicit aim of avoiding giving anything away, hardly appropriate in the light of the seriousness of both the events in question and the wider situation that we find ourselves in.

I'm out and I'm Proud

Boris Johnson opens Pride with joke about gay men taking their future husbands ‘up the Arcelor’

New STI figures show rapid increases among gay men23 June 2015read ...

26th June 2013read ...
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, praised the organisers of this weekend’s Pride in London festival on Tuesday evening, and also made a risqué joke about gay men taking their husbands up the “Arcelor” on their wedding day
.In the middle of his speech, Mr Johnson cited human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell as a key person who encouraged him to support equal marriage.

Half of British Muslims want gay sex banned, says poll
10 April 2016read ...
Half of British Muslims want gay sex to be made illegal, according to a new poll.
The survey for Channel 4 found there was a “chasm” between views among the British Muslim community and mainstream opinion in this country. It found 52 per cent of Muslims said homosexuality should not be legal in Britain.
Trevor Phillips, the former head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, who interpreted the survey for a documentary to be broadcast this week, said: "The integration of Britain’s Muslims will probably be the hardest task we’ve ever faced. “It will require the abandonment of the milk-and-water multiculturalism still so beloved of many, and the adoption of a far more muscular approach to integration.”Download Tables in PDF

Equality - Gangnam Style

Candidates with Muslim-sounding names three times more likely to be passed over for jobs
6 February 2017read ...
Muslims are facing so much discrimination when applying for management jobs that many even consider changing their names to get ahead, an investigation has discovered.
It found that someone with a Muslim-sounding name on their CV is three times less likely to get an interview.
Diversity coach Sneha Khilay: some recruitment officers who had attended her courses said, ‘Please don’t send us any foreign names.’
According to the Office for National Statistics, Muslim men are 76 per cent less likely to be employed than their white Christian counterparts, with growing numbers claiming they are barred from work due to prejudice.
Government research has suggested poor language skills are to blame for high unemployment in Britain’s Islamic communities.
However, even those with impeccable English were being overlooked, according to the investigation by BBC current affairs show Inside Out.

Women-only and gay-only shortlists for the PC Liberal Democrats
12 March 2016read ...
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron hopes to impose all-women shortlists by the next election and will make the announcement on Sunday at the party's spring conference

Muslim women 'stopped from becoming Labour councillors'
5 February 2016read ...
A Muslim women's group has written to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn claiming women have been stopped from becoming councillors by Muslim men in the party.

New anti-Semitism row for Labour as Walthamstow activist suspended
11 May 2015read ...
Labour has suspended a Walthamstow activist amid a new anti-Semitism controversy for the party. David Watson, a fundraising co-ordinator for the Walthamstow Labour Party, referred to Zionism as a “racist ideology” on Facebook. Reports in the national press claimed Mr Watson shared articles claiming ISIS used weapons made in Israel, comparing Mossad to the Nazis and accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians. It is also claimed Mr Watson had written in a Facebook status: “If I were a Palestinian, like most people. I’d probably want to be a guerrilla fighter and liberate my people from a brutal and oppressive occupation.”
Mr Watson was suspended on Friday (May 6) while an investigation into the Facebook posts is carried out. In a statement, the Walthamstow Labour Party said: “An individual member of Walthamstow Labour Party has been suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation by the national party.

The Jewish Chronicle Online
Labour suspends Walthamstow activist for antisemitic Facebook posts
May 6, 2016
read ...Stella Creasy, the Labour MP for Walthamstow, said she was “very clear that we must show zero tolerance” to antisemitism in the constituency.
She said she would “expect and indeed be calling for the local leadership” to take action over the issue, adding: “Bigotry has no place in a party campaigning for social justice. “Walthamstow is a diverse and very tolerant community - I’ve lived here for 20 years and it’s really important we be clear that hatred of one group begets hatred of another. “Bigotry is hatred, and hatred doesn’t help you to have a debate. Those people who suggest otherwise don’t understand the power of bigotry to exclude and disempower people.”
Mark Hope, chair of the Walthamstow Labour Party, was unaware that his fundraising coordinator had been suspended and refused to give any comment on the subject.

London preacher and friend hail fanatic who killed politician in Pakistan as 'hero and martyr'
15 April 2016read ...
Waltham Forest council is investigating and councillor Ahsan Khan has stepped down from his cabinet role after it emerged he had organised a mini ceremony on January 28 at which Mr Malik was presented with a community award for building up a large online following.
Mr Malik was handed a crest bearing the borough’s coat of arms by mayor Saima Mahmud.
During the ceremony, councillor Khan praised the cleric for the channel’s “good content” and for it getting “over 500,000 hits across Europe”.

Speculation that ISIS executioner 'could be Walthamstow jihadi', report claims
4 December 2015read ...
Father-of-four Siddhartha Dhar, 32, also known as Abu Rumaysah al Britani, travelled to the Middle East in September 2014 after he was accused of inciting terrorism.

Mother jailed for trying to smuggle her four children into Syria
23 February 2016read ...
The sister-in-law of the alleged Isis executioner known as Jihadi Sid; has been jailed for three years for trying to smuggle her four young children into Syria.

Church of England attendance plunges to record low
13 January 2016read ...
Sunday attendance slumps by 22,000 to 765,000 as older worshippers die and Archbishop of Canterbury warns of struggle in ‘anti-Christian culture’
Attendance at Church of England services has plunged to its lowest level ever as the Archbishop of Canterbury warned it was battling to maintain its place in an increasingly “anti-Christian” culture.

Anglican hardliners plan new churches
September 24 2016read ...
A new network of Anglican churches is to be launched to rival the Church of England as a home for worshippers with conservative views on issues such as homosexuality.
The project, launched by a group called the Anglican Mission in England (AMiE), aims to plant hundreds of Anglican churches outside the control of the Church of England and has the backing of a group of hardline Anglican archbishops from around the world.

Cllr Marie Pye, Waltham Forest’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing:“Getting into the Stonewall Top 100 is great news for Waltham Forest and a real testament to our commitment towards making the organisation as open and inclusive as possible."

2007 - Waltham Forest Council senior management have a clear commitment to doing more to support LGBT equality in the workplace. kaleidoscope ..

LGBT month to be celebrated with art and craft workshops
27 January 2016read ...
A range of LGBT events are set to be held in a month of celebration across Waltham Forest.
Council Leader Chris Robbins said: “The events taking place during LGBT History Month are not only engaging and informative, but they also promise to be a real celebration of diversity – something we absolutely champion here in Waltham Forest.

Stonewall chief: Anglican split could be ‘incredibly dangerous’ for LGBT people
12 January 2016read ...
The head of Stonewall has warned that a split in the global Anglican church could bolster anti-gay churches. The Archbishop of Canterbury is currently hosting church leaders from around the world, as he attempts to avoid an entire breakdown of the Anglican Communion.

'Gay spies work better when they can be open' says MI6 chief
19 January 2017read …
Alex Younger, head of the Secret Intelligence Service, known as C, said it was important his staff were able to be “authentic” at work despite having to hide their real job from the outside world.
Younger, said that MI6 is “serious” about offering its staff “a real work/life balance”, including flexible and part-time working hours if possible, as well as “generous” shared parental leave and pay.:

Waltham Forest has over twice the national average of sufferers of the HIV virus.
20 November 2015 read ...
Barts Health and Waltham Forest council have joined forces to mark European HIV-Hepatitis Testing Week, offering a free and confidential health screening in Walthamstow town centre to improve early detection and minimise the risk of people spreading the diseases.
The disturbing stats give the borough a HIV prevalence of 4.8 per thousand people, aged between 15 and 59 years, compared to the national average of 2.1 per thousand.
In the first three months of 2015, 500 people contacted HIV charity Positive East.

Waltham Forest Council has been named one of the best places to work for lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people.
5th February 2013read ...
The authority was placed 63rd on gay rights charity Stonewall’s 2013 list of the 100 best employers of gay staff.
Councillor Mark Rusling, cabinet member for economic development and corporate resources, said: “I am extremely pleased with the result this year, especially as it is the highest we have ever been ranked in the seven years that the council has entered the index.

BA owner’s board ‘does not get IT’
June 5 2017read ...
The owner of British Airways is facing criticism for not having enough board-level IT expertise after a computer glitch disrupted the journeys of about 75,000 passengers and cost the company an estimated £150 million.
Glass Lewis, an influential shareholder advisory group, said that the board of International Airlines Group, which owns Iberia and Aer Lingus as well as BA, needed to add more non-executives with specialist IT knowledge, according to reports. “We believe the board should consider bolstering the IT experience of its non-executive cohort, particularly in light of the fact that . . . only one of the currently serving non-executive directors has IT experience,” Glass Lewis warned before the company’s annual meeting next week.

Whipps Cross University Hospital hit by ‘cyber attack’
12 May 2017read …
Barts Health, which runs Whipps Cross University Hospital, has been hit by a ‘cyber attack’ reported to
In a statement, the trust said: “We are experiencing a major IT disruption and there are delays at all of our hospitals. “We have activated our major incident plan to make sure we can maintain the safety and welfare of patients. “We are very sorry that we have to cancel routine appointments, and would ask members of the public to use other NHS services wherever possible. “Ambulances are being diverted to neighbouring hospitals.”
A spokesman for NHS Digital said: “A number of NHS organisations have reported to NHS Digital that they have been affected by a ransomware attack.

The Silk Road - to Barking

China freight train' in first trip to Barking - the New Silk Route.3 January 2017read ...
London will become the 15th European city to join what the Chinese government calls the New Silk Route.
The service will pass through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany Belgium and France before arriving at Barking Rail Freight Terminal in East London.
Because of the different railway gauges involved, a single train cannot travel the whole route and the containers need to be reloaded at various points.
The Chinese government is keen to boost its economy in the face of slowing export and economic growth.

British Chambers of Commerce 2 April 2014read ...
John Longworth, director-general of the BCC accused the political class of failing young people, in a scathing attack on the education system which has ‘wasted human capital’.: Britain needs politicians ‘to be more economically literate and business orientated’.‘Education, education, education' – what a meaningless phrase this proved to be, he said.
Accusing some schools, colleges and universities of ‘losing the plot’, Longworth said: ‘Preparing this generation for the British workforce is too important to the economy for us to ignore.’

Newham College launches English centre of excellence31 March 2016read ...
Newham College, has established a centre of excellence in vocational English for speakers of other languages. 80 per cent of students at Newham College have a first language that is not English.
With such diversity in the borough, it comes as little surprise that 80 per cent of students at Newham College have a first language that is not English.
Newham College will provide students who may have higher level qualifications from abroad but with limited English language skills a practical route towards continuing their chosen careers in the UK.
The college’s English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) department will join the community education division and its centre for innovation and partnerships in forming the new centre of excellence.
The centre will work closely with a range of sectors, including health, construction, early years and childcare, fashion and catering.
Diana Moraru, who went on to work in human resources, said: “I didn’t speak any English when I started doing ESOL, but I went on to do a master’s degree at Kings College by the time I finished.
“The staff are very experienced and the teachers motivate and engage the students.

Chaotic careers education harms economy, says Ofsted24 November 2016read ..
Chaotic careers education in England's schools could jeopardise the UK's future economic prosperity, says education watchdog Ofsted.
Lack of an "overarching government strategy" means a generation is leaving school unready for work, it argues.
The UK's post-Brexit success depends on harnessing "home-grown talent", says chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw.
The government said its strategy was "to open young people's eyes to many opportunities and choices".
Earlier this month MPs accused ministers of "burying their heads in the sand" over careers education.
Ofsted's report wants the government to do more to promote "enterprise education" in schools "including the promotion of economic and business understanding and financial capability" among pupils.

Employers to play bigger role in rating skills training28 April 2014read ...
Ofsted is asking employers in England to rate the effectiveness of skills training and education providers.
The aim is to "increase employers' engagement in education and training", said Lorna Fitzjohn, of Ofsted.
Employers are asked to rate short in-service training courses in a specific skill, apprenticeships and longer more general courses that give students a grounding in a particular profession or trade before they start work.
It will be on similar lines to Learner View, launched 18 months ago, which allows learners to register their views on the quality and effectiveness of the training they receive.

Worklessness: Newham v. LBWF

Worst four London low pay boroughs, paying less than the London Living Wage1 Brent 2 Waltham Forest 3 Newham 4 Barking & Dagenham
21 October 2015read ...
Number of London's 'working poor' surges 70% in 10 years
More than a million Londoners who are defined as living in poverty are members of households in which at least one adult has a job, according to a new analysis. The figures include 450,000 children who live in such households, and research estimates that cuts in working tax credits to families next April could make 640,000 children worse off.
The analysis is contained in the fifth London Poverty Profile, which is compiled by the New Policy Institute.

Tackling worklessness: Newham v. LBWF
20 January 2016read ...
Newham’s growing affluence was partly the result of its council’s ‘reimagined jobs scheme’, Workplace (‘What’s behind the huge fall in deprivation in east London?)
In past years, apparently, Newham council simply ‘advised residents on their CVs, pointed them to job postings, and sent them on their way’, a system that resulted in a mere 2 per cent then finding work. Now, because more than a dozen Workplace managers are embedded with major local employers, they are better able to ease residents into vacancies, and then up-skill them through appropriate training, in turn raising their incomes. The change in approach, it is claimed, has benefited no less than 30,000 people.

NEET unemployment - November 2013
Waltham Forest experienced a 3.6% rise in NEET 16-24 year old unemployment for 2013 (Jul 12 - Jun 13 v Jul 11 - Jun 12) compared with 2012 for the same period.
This compares to an average of 1.4% across all London boroughs.
Labour Market Update - November 2013Downlod NEET data - (see p 13)

Navigant Consulting
London Borough of Waltham Forest,
Local Economic Assessment, Nov 2010. read full report
In Waltham Forest skills levels are very low, as in most of EastLondon. Waltham Forest ranks 377th out of 408 local areas in Great Britain on overall skills and qualifications scores. There are more Asian/Asian British unemployed in Waltham Forest than any other ethnic grouping.

Ex-gang members learning trades at Leytonstone's Construction Skills Centre in Cathall Road
8th July 2013 read ...
A gang initiative in the borough has been roundly praised following a high-powered visit last week.
The Home Secretary Theresa May, MPs Iain Duncan-Smith and Stella Creasy, with Council Leader Chris Robbins, met last Thursday at Leytonstone's Construction Skills Centre in Cathall Road, where ex-gang members have been learning trades. >> more on Worknet <<

‘Our Olympics': (3) The National Construction College’s Cathall Rd. facility
April 10, 2015 read ...
The National Construction College’s facility in Cathall Rd., on the Leyton-Leytonstone border, was presented by LBWF as the jewel in the crown of Waltham Forest’s Olympic legacy. Looking like a super IKEA, looming over the surrounding buildings, and hyped by every Labour hack from Cathall Councillor Terry Wheeler to the Leader himself.
Today, the Construction Academy is virtually forgotten, and the rumour is that it will soon close. Locals hope that it becomes a real IKEA, but the likelihood is that it will be replaced by boxy flats. >> Update <<

Average of one knife crime every day in Waltham Forest
19 March 2015read ...
Police in the borough recorded 350 offences, including 144 stabbings.
The Met refused to reveal how many people had been killed by a knife in Waltham Forest.

Learners and employers rating skills training

Ofsted Learner View
Learner View gives you the chance to tell us what you think about your further education and skills providerread ...

More than 12 million fall into UK digital skills gap
19 October 2015read ...
Over 12 million people, and a million small businesses in the UK do not have the skills to prosper in the digital era. That is the warning today from Go.On UK, a charity set up to promote digital skills.

Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw to criticise apprenticeship providers
18 October 2015read ...
Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw supports the Government's aim to deliver three million apprenticeships.
"Apprenticeships are being awarded for "low-level" skills like making coffee and mopping floors, the head of Ofsted is expected to say this week.
Chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw will accuse employers and providers of wasting taxpayer money.

Skilled workers 'may vanish' if further education budget cuts continue24 June 2015read ...
Labour market expert Professor Alison Wolf says cuts to FE colleges and growth of universities could see UK lose valuable source of technicians and mechanics
Britain’s supply of skilled workers may “vanish into history” if looming budget cuts in further education and the unchecked expansion of universities are allowed to continue, according to the architect of the government’s vocational education plans.
Professor Alison Wolf, a respected labour market expert said the further education sector faces possible collapse.

Colleges say 'swathe of cuts' threatens adult education
25 March 2015read ...
Adult education in England "will not exist by 2020" if government cuts continue, colleges have warned. The Association of Colleges says 190,000 adult education places will go next year, as funding is cut by 24%. Courses for health, public services and care, and information and communication technology (ICT) could be hardest hit.

Cuts could close four in 10 colleges, says Labour
10 November 2015read ...
Up to four in 10 further education and sixth-form colleges in England could close if the government presses ahead with savings, says Labour.
College budgets are not protected and might be vulnerable to cuts in the 2015 Spending Review, says the party.
The analysis comes as further education members of the University and College Union strike over pay.

Work Programme 'fails to find work for 70% of claimants'
21 October 2015read ...
The Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee said the £5bn Work Programme - launched in 2011 - was "not working well" for people with complex problems.
The programmet is run by providers who offer support and training to people on jobseeker's allowance (JSA) and employment and support allowance (ESA).
The committee said nearly 70% of people who had completed their two-year attachment to the scheme, which applies in England, Scotland and Wales, had failed to find sustained employment. People with drug and alcohol addiction, illiteracy and innumeracy and the homeless should be better served, the committee said.

Employers to play bigger role in rating skills training
28 April 2014
read ...
Ofsted is asking employers in England to rate the effectiveness of skills training and education providers.
The aim is to "increase employers' engagement in education and training", said Lorna Fitzjohn, of Ofsted.
Employers are asked to rate short in-service training courses in a specific skill, apprenticeships and longer more general courses that give students a grounding in a particular profession or trade before they start work.
It will be on similar lines to Learner View, launched 18 months ago, which allows learners to register their views on the quality and effectiveness of the training they receive.

One woman steps up

It's time women stepped up to run the world

'Is this what the Walthamstow Labour Party 'hard left' has come to?read ...
4 August 2015
Stella Creasy and Jeremy Corbyn are very unlikely bedfellows.
She's standing to be deputy leader of the Labour Party but, in a personal and provocative piece, Stella Creasy says that it's time women stopped fighting sexism politely - and stepped up to run the world

The tale of the pot and the kettle!

Bercow's alleged 'stupid woman' remarkread ...
Theresa May has said there should be an investigation if a complaint is made over allegations that John Bercow, the House of Commons Speaker, called Andrea Leadsom a “stupid woman” in heated exchanges after prime minister’s questions.
The prime minister’s spokesman said: “We’ve seen the alleged remarks and clearly the prime minister thinks they are unacceptable. And if an official complaint is made, it should be properly investigated.”
But MPs have said the Commons system of investigation is too flawed to do an effective job.

It would be "sensible" not to appoint menEnvironment Secretary Andrea Leadsom: Men should not be nannies because they may be paedophiles
14 July 2016 read ...
Andrea Leadsom has suggested men should not be hired to look after young children because they may be paedophiles.
During a discussion on the challenges faced by parents, the newly-appointed Environment Secretary said it would be "sensible" not to appoint males for childcare duties

Law that will brand all men rapists:
22 March 2017read …
SARAH VINE says new plans to allow victims to testify via video are deeply worrying
The proposal, announced earlier this week by the Ministry of Justice, to allow alleged victims of rape to have their cross examination recorded before a trial, is deeply worrying.
In English law, you are innocent until proven guilty. By allowing video testimony, you are introducing the presumption of guilt and placing the onus on the defence to prove innocence.
If these proposals become reality, it will be open season. Worse still, they will enshrine in English law that old ultra-feminist line: that all men are rapists until proven otherwise.

100 Women 2016: I am a 'surrendered wife’
4 December 2016read ...
Californian Kathy Murray says she saved her marriage by giving up trying to control her husband. Despite considering herself a feminist, she follows - and now teaches others - the approach of a controversial book called The Surrendered Wife, which tells women to stop nagging their partners and start treating them with more respect. Much of our fighting stemmed from the fact I thought my husband was clueless when it came to raising the children (we had four children between us aged from four to nine years old). We also quarrelled about how to manage our finances

Another woman steps up

Adv. Thuli Madonsela, S.A.Public Protector, at KwaZulu Natal University
26 Aug 2015read ...
Asked if South Africa was ready for a woman President, she said "It always has been ready for a woman president. '
But she said this did not mean that "come hell or high water, there must be a woman president".
I don`t want a woman president or a man president. I want a president who will expand the frontiers of freedom, justice and constitutionalism in this country."

President Zuma (South Africa) questioned on oath over links to rich family
9 October 2016
read ...
Thuli Madonsela is the present Public Protector.
A few days ago she questioned Zuma for 4 hours.
Zuma stalled and balked and did not answer her questions.
Madonsela is about to be replaced by a woman, allegedly hand picked by Zuma as one who will protect him rather than the public.

One man steps up, and another

Chancellor Philip Hammond: driving a train is so easy 'even a woman can do it'
14 July 2017
read …
Chancellor Philip Hammond is at the centre of a sexism row after reportedly saying driving trains is now so easy that “even a woman can do it”.
The Government’s top finance minister caused fury at a Cabinet meeting earlier this week during a discussion on transport.

Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson: the ‘anti-snowflake’ crusader speaks out
17 January 2018 read ...
The 55-year-old professor of psychology at the University of Toronto lectures on subjects from the dangers of identity politics and use of gender-neutral pronouns, to the power of mythology and the Bible, to why the works of Jung, Nietzsche and Solzhenitsyn matter today more than ever.
Canadian psychologist speaks out:
Watch YouTube

The Hungarian Connection

Stella Creasy, Labour MP: Breed for Britain! Without immigrants women will need 'a lot of children' to save economy.
3 June 2014read ...
The unmarried Labour MP said without immigration women already in the UK will have to breed for Britain to support the growing number of pensioners. Miss Creasy, who does not have children, said without a baby boom 'our ability to sustain our economy' will collapse - leaving the NHS in crisis. The Labour MP's controversial remarks are likely to spark controversy and come just days after the former Tory Chancellor Lord Lamont dismissed the claim that immigration was needed to cope with an ageing society

Hungarian PM says Europe ‘cannot build its future on immigration instead of families’ and says leaders must make it easier for parents to have children 'for the survival of our civilization'
5 November 2015more ...Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban has spoken out against the influx of migrants into Europe, saying it will not solve the continent's problems.
Viktor Orban said that governments need to create incentives for its existing citizens to have more children, warning that 'the survival of our civilization and our culture is at stake.'
Hungary's population has declined every year since 1980, and in 2011 fell below 10 million for the first time since 1960.

Hungarian billionaire George Soros, tells Europe to take in 'at least a MILLION' refugees every year
3 November 2015read ...
Hungarian, George Soros, has claimed Europe should take "at least a million" refugees every year and let them choose where they want to live.
The human rights activist, who is a notable backer of the European Union, called on the EU to accept more refugees and cover the cost of housing health care and education for each refugee for the first two years.
The billionaire businessman was last week accused by Hungary's prime minister of deliberately encouraging the migration crisis.

Pope Francis says gender theory is part of a 'global war' on marriage and family
2 October 2016read ...
Pope Francis visited the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, Georgia, 1 October, 2016
He warned gender theory is part of a "global war" against traditional marriage and the family and continued: "not with weapons but with ideas... we have to defend ourselves from ideological colonisation."
Gender theory is broadly the concept that while a person may be biologically male or female, they have the right to identify as male, female, both or neither.
The Pontiff has used the phrase "ideological colonisation" in the past to denounce what he says are attempts by rich countries to link development aid to the acceptance of social policies, such as allowing gay marriage and contraception.
In 2013 the Pope called for gay people to be integrated into society, rather than marginalised

Pope Francis says teaching gender theory is ‘insidious indoctrination’
04 Oct 2016 read ...Pope Francis has said teaching children gender theory in schools was an “insidious indoctrination”, even as he insisted he had always treated homosexuals and transsexuals with respect.
“It is one thing to have homosexual tendencies or a sex change,” the pope said in comments to journalists made on board the papal plane after he wrapped up a three-day tour in the Caucasus and headed home to Rome.“But it is another thing to teach it in schools.”
Trying to “change attitudes” like this is “ideological colonisation,” the pope said, building on comments he made Saturday in Tbilisi, when he argued that gender theory was part of a “global war” on traditional family values and marriage.

Europe is committing demographic suicide,

Catholic Lite and Europe’s Demographic Suicide
by George Weigel read ...
Europe is committing demographic suicide, systematically depopulating itself in what British historian Niall Ferguson has called “the greatest sustained reduction in European population since the Black Death in the fourteenth century.”
This unwillingness to create the future in the most elemental sense, by creating new generations, is at the root of many of Europe’s problems, including its difficulties assimilating immigrants and its fiscal distress.
When an entire continent—healthier, wealthier, and more secure than ever before—deliberately chooses sterility, the most basic cause for that must lie in the realm of the human spirit, in a certain souring about the very mystery of being.

A record number of LGBTQ people were just elected to the British Parliament
11 June 2017read …
The British election was remarkable for many things — particularly the weak showing of Theresa May’s Conservative Party.
But there was a milestone less widely noted: British voters elected 45 out LGBTQ candidates to parliament — 7 percent of its 650 members.
Those 45 MPs are an increase over the already high-water mark of 32 elected in 2015.

Kaleidoscope (LGBT staff network)2007kaleidoscope ...
Waltham Forest Council senior management have a clear commitment to doing more to support LGBT equality in the workplace.
“Getting into the Stonewall Top 100 is great news for Waltham Forest and a real testament to our commitment towards making the organisation as open and inclusive as possible."

Chris Bryant MP describes House of Commons ‘gay bar’
13th January 2012read ...
In praising a more diverse parliament, Labour MP for Rhondda, Chris Bryant, said some days a part of the Westminster complex is “virtually a gay bar”. Chris Bryant, the MP for Rhondda, speaking at a debate on Parliamentary representation made the comment about the Strangers Bar.
Referring to the establishment, he said: “It is significant that we now have more out gay Members of Parliament than ever before. “Indeed, sometimes when you go into the Strangers Bar you feel as though you are in Rupert street. “It is a great sadness to me that there are still only two out lesbians in Parliament.”
He also reacted to an earlier comment by Conservative MP for Milton Keynes South, Iain Stewart, who said: “One of the most powerful things that we can be is role models […] People who might be inspired to go into politics need to be able to see that there are people like them in Parliament. That is one of the most powerful ways of getting more people involved in politics.”
Bryant and his partner Jared Cranney were the first gay men to enter into a civil partnership in the Palace of Westminster.

Europe is committing demographic suicide, systematically depopulating itself in what British historian Niall Ferguson has called “the greatest sustained reduction in European population since the Black Death in the fourteenth century.”

This unwillingness to create the future in the most elemental sense, by creating new generations, is at the root of many of Europe’s problems, including its difficulties assimilating immigrants and its fiscal distress.

When an entire continent—healthier, wealthier, and more secure than ever before—deliberately chooses sterility, the most basic cause for that must lie in the realm of the human spirit, in a certain souring about the very mystery of being.

Steyn argued that most of Western Europe is already in the death throes of “demographic suicide” because couples are not having enough children to replace the population.

ISIS Undercover in the Borough

Isis trying to foment a wave of migration to Europe, says UN official
26 April 2018 read …
Islamic State commanders fleeing Syria are conspiring with extremist groups in Africa to foment and infiltrate a new migration wave destined for Europe, the head of the UN World Food Programme has said.
David Beasley, a former Republican governor of South Carolina, said Europe needed to wake up to the extremists’ strategy in the Sahel region.
Those forced out of Syria were uniting with local terrorist groups to use a lack of food as both a recruitment tool and a vehicle to push millions of Africans towards Europe, he said.
Speaking to the Guardian during a visit to Brussels for a two-day Syriasummit, Beasley said: “You are going to face a similar pattern of what took place years ago, except you are going to have more Isis and extremist groups infiltrating migration.

How a teacher sought to recruit a terror 'death squad'
2 March 2018read ...
A teacher has been convicted of trying to recruit an "army of children" to stage a series of Islamic State-inspired terror attacks across London.
Umar Haque, 25, was found guilty at the Old Bailey on Friday after five days of jury deliberations.
The court heard during the month-long trial Haque attempted to convert children as young as 11 to his extremist cause while working as a teacher at Lantern of Knowledge School in Leyton and at Ripple Road Mosque in Barking.
Accomplices Abuthaher Mamun and Muhammad Abid, who Haque recruited after meeting at the mosque, were convicted of their roles in helping him. After he was found guilty, Haque shouted: "I want to say something", but was dragged out of the dock by officers as he continued to rant.

Concern over how unqualified 'terror teacher' Umar Haque was able to lead class at Leyton school
7 March 2018read …
Authorities have expressed concern over how an extremist, who aimed to recruit a “child army” for IS-inspired terror attacks, was able to teach at a Leyton school without any qualifications.
Umar Haque was found guilty on Friday of plotting a series of strikes at London landmarks including Big Ben and Westfield shopping centre in 2016 and early 2017.
During his trial, the Old Bailey heard the 25-year-old aimed to enlist 300 children to help him carry out the Jihadist attacks.
Jurors were told Haque played children as young as 11 videos of IS beheadings in class while working as a teacher at the £3,000-a-year independent Lantern of Knowledge School in Leyton.
Police said youngsters at the all-boys Muslim faith school were so “paralysed with fear” by the gory footage, officers initially faced a “wall of silence” during their investigation. S Undercover in the Borough

IS-obsessed teacher 'showed 11-year-olds beheading video at Leyton school', court hears
19 January 2018read …
An Islamic State-obsessed teacher showed children as young as 11 videos of beheadings and plotted a terror attack at Westfield shopping centre, a court has heard.
Umar Haque, 25, allegedly showed pupils at the Lantern of Knowledge Islamic School in Leyton videos of beheadings in an attempt to convert them to his extreme ideology, the Old Bailey heard this week.
He enlisted the help and support of fellow extremists at his local mosque where he tried to groom children with role-play and extremist videos, jurors were told.

Judge to accept majority verdict as jury in 'terror teacher' trial enters fifth day of deliberations
1 March 2018read ...
A jury has been told it can reach a majority decision in the trial of a teacher accused of grooming children and plotting IS-inspired attacks across London.
Umar Haque, 25, allegedly targeted London landmarks including Big Ben, the Queen's Guards and Westfield shopping centre in 2016 and early 2017.
The Old Bailey has also heard he tried to recruit children as young as 11 his extremist while teaching at Lantern of Knowledge School in Leyton and Ripple Road Mosque in Barking.

Chingford boy to become first terror suspect tried at youth court
11 April 2017read ...
A BOY from Chingford is set to become the first terror suspect to stand trial at a youth court.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is standing trial accused of spreading Al Qaeda propaganda online.
It is claimed he downloaded and shared the terror group's English-language magazine Inspire between April 1, 2016 and February 20, 2017.
According to the charges, he also shared a video titled 'How to construct an Improvised Explosive Device' via the encrypted messaging app Telegram.

Walthamstow man, 33, charged with terrorism21 June 2017read …
A MAN is due to appear in court charged with terrorism.
Irfan Khan, 33, of Walthamstow, was charged on Tuesday, June 20, with seven counts of possessing material likely to be used by a person committing terrorism.
The 33-year-old was arrested at an address in Waltham Forest after armed police raided a business property in east London on June 8.

Isis cannot be defeated without addressing corrupt conditions in which they thrive
21 February 2017,
read ...
Western governments that ignore corruption are failing to address the root causes of violent extremist movements, such as ISIS, according to new research by Transparency International Defence and Security.Open Governanceread ...
Open governance is a concept that moves beyond the traditional notion of government and describes the relationships between leaders, public institutions and citizens, their interaction and decision-making processes. Open governance is comprised of three main elements – rights, institutions and policies, and tools.
The Open Government Partnership of which the UK is a member, outlines accountability, technology & innovation, citizen participation and transparency as the key components of open governance.

Only targeting Muslims in anti-terror schemes is wrong, says Jeremy Corbyn26 March 2017read …
The Government's Prevent strategy should be broadened and focus on all communities, Jeremy Corbyn has suggested. The Labour leader said the counter-terrorism strategy is "often counter-productive" and casts "suspicion" over the whole Muslim community in the UK.
Speaking to ITV's Peston On Sunday programme in the wake of Wednesday's London terror attack, Mr Corbyn suggested the Government's deradicalisation programme needed to be reformed.
He continued: "Deal with the issue of far right extremism within our society, deal with the issue of racism in our society, deal with the issues of discrimination within our society, deal with the issues of the perceptions of stop and search within our society, above all be inclusive of people and what Prevent does, it says 'hang on, let's look at only the Muslim community'."
When pushed on exactly what he believed needed to change, he said: "I'm saying broaden it into an agenda of inclusion."

For a Salafi, there’s no need to familiarise yourself with centuries of Islamic scholarship and debate, or to investigate the practices of the many other Muslim groups. By simply following Salafi teachings, it is claimed, you can be assured of God’s blessing – and hopefully a place in Paradise. As Wafa put it: “It’s as simple as ABC.”

Extreme Islam: What makes a young British woman turn to Salafism?
27 November 2016read ...They’re heavily veiled, believe in polygamy and have to follow thousands of rules. Yet increasing numbers of young and educated British women are converting to Salafism.
I’ve witnessed for myself how Salafi preachers convey this sense of simplicity and authenticity. At every lesson I attended, the teachers rarely strayed from quoting or paraphrasing the words of the scriptures or of famous Islamic scholars. In fact, the phrase “I think” is banned from the Salafi teacher’s lexicon: all points must be framed by the Qur’an, hadith or words of a respected scholar. Even the rules that shape their lives are presented as rooted in “authentic” Islamic texts. They may be harsh in a 21st-century context, but they leave no room for doubt. And that’s the attraction: complete and utter certainty. Having such a clear sense of purpose in life was undoubtedly fulfilling for the women I interviewed. “Subhanallah [glory to God]!” said Maryam, a university student in her mid-twenties. “I feel more at peace and tranquil, in that I am trying my utmost to implement the religion because I have evidence to support me.”
In their classes, they’re taught that homosexuality is an abomination, that females should stay in the home and that non-believers face going to hell for eternity.

Muslim choir girls sing Arabic Christmas carols in touching video from Beirut
25 December 2016read ...
Footage of a Muslim girls’ choir singing Christmas carols at a church concert has emerged from the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
The ensemble of around 40 girls can be seen in a video singing ‘Silent Night’ in Arabic at St Elie Greek Catholic Church, located in a majority Muslim neighbourhood of the city.
The Imam Sadr Foundation choir was taking part in a concert organised by the Beirut Chants Festival, which organised 23 free concerts for advent from December 1st.
The girls’ performance took place on the 19th December, where they also accompanied famous Lebanese musician Abeer Nehme.
Lebanon is a tolerant and religiously diverse country, whose population is 40 per cent Christian.
Its 1926 constitution ensures that there is parity between Muslim and Christian representatives in government, and the highest offices - President, Speaker of Parliament and Prime Minister - must be occupied by Christian, Shia Muslim and Sunni Muslim candidates respectively.

Leaflet handed out at Walthamstow mosque told worshipers 'kill those who insult Islam'
11 October 2016read ...
The booklets, arguing Muslims “should kill” anyone who insulted the Prophet Mohammed, were reportedly distributed several months ago during Gyarween Shareef, a holy gathering attended by around 100 people, at Dar-ul-Uloom Qadria Jilania mosque in East Avenue.
The publication claimed to be in accordance with Islamic law and also justified the “assassination” of former Muslims who had renounced their faith.

Walthamstow woman 'is ISIS bride-maker'
5 July 2016read ...
It is believed Gondal was involved in a plot to lure an undercover reporter, posing as a teenage girl, to Syria last year.
Using the name Fatima, it is claimed Gondal told the reporter to travel from Britain to Switzerland, before moving onwards towards they Turkish border with Syria. The reporter was then told they would be smuggled into IS-controlled territory before being married to a jihadi.
Gondal, the daughter of a businessman, is believed to have married Abu Abbas al-Lubnani, a Lebanese ISIS fighter who attempted to recruit British citizens for the terror group online in 2014. He was killed while fighting in Syria in August last year.

'Waltham Forest is Islamist terror offender hotspot' new report claims
7 March 2017 read …
Waltham Forest has been named as a hotspot for Islamist-inspired terror offenders in a new report.
The study, published by human rights think tank The Henry Jackson Society, found the number of Islamism-related terror offences in the has UK nearly doubled between 2010 and 2015.

Waltham Forest boy, 15, among teenagers charged with terror offences
25 February 2017read …
A teenager from Waltham Forest, who is just 15 years old and cannot be named for legal reasons, was one of five teenagers arrested on Monday, February 20, after an operation by the Met’s Counter-Terrorism Command

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men” (Frederick Douglass, 1817-1895)Dr Andrew Rowland: Churchill Fellow of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust
25/04/2014 read ...
In 1855 Frederick Douglass had a series of dialogues with white slave-owners who could not, or would not, comprehend that slavery was morally wrong and it was during these communications that he wrote, “it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men“.
This statement still holds true today and it is inextricably linked to issues surrounding early childhood experiences, child abuse and the development of individuals’ roles, and functioning, within society.

Isis sex slave 'kidnapped' by Walthamstow jihadi Siddhartha Dhar
5 May 2016read ...
The 32-year-old, who took the name Abu Rumaysah after converting to Islam, fled to Syria with his wife and four children in 2014.
While living in Walthamstow, he became a close associate of Islamist cleric Anjem Choudhary and was a founding member of Islam4UK.
Dhar was dubbed “the new Jihadi John”, after it was claimed he was the masked executioner in an Islamic State video showing the murder of five hostages in January

Comment
Extremism in Waltham Forest: an update
September 8, 2016 read ...In recent weeks, various commentators on social media have questioned why a Pakistani preacher called Muhammad Hassan Haseeb ur Rehman has been allowed into Britain to tour mosques.*For Muhammad Hassan Haseeb ur Rehman is a fervent supporter of Mumtaz Qadri, and the latter is a very controversial figure indeed. The story starts in 2011. Qadri was a policeman guarding the liberal governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, when one day he shot him dead. Quadri’s motive was straightforward: he abhorred the fact that Taseer had advocated the reform of Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws.
Subsequently, Quadri was tried and executed, events that for some have made him a martyr, a man who has given his life defending Islam from its enemies.
Reflecting on these facts, I wondered whether Muhammad Hassan Haseeb ur Rehman planned to visit Waltham Forest as part of his current tour. It turns out that, as far as I can see, he did not.

Comment
Extremism in Waltham Forest: a quick roundup of the recent lowpoints29 April 2016 read ...It has been a busy few months on the extremism front in Waltham Forest, so here is a short roundup of the major stories that have been featured on this blog
LBWF Chief Executive Martin Esom claims some expertise in counter-extremism work, and chairs the London Prevent Board.
Perhaps he should spend more time looking at what is right under his nose.

Speculation that ISIS executioner 'could be Walthamstow jihadi', report claims
4 December 2015read ...
Father-of-four Siddhartha Dhar, 32, also known as Abu Rumaysah al Britani, travelled to the Middle East in September 2014 after he was accused of inciting terrorism.

Mother jailed for trying to smuggle her four children into Syria
23 February 2016read ...
The sister-in-law of the alleged Isis executioner known as Jihadi Sid; has been jailed for three years for trying to smuggle her four young children into Syria.

"You ain't no Muslim bruv"

Leytonstone Tube station stabbing a 'terrorist incident'6 December 2015read ...
A stabbing at a Leytonstone Tube station in East London is being treated as a "terrorist incident", the Met Police has said.

Investigation uncovers ISIS sympathising women meeting in council-owned centre
25 November 2015read ...
The Asian Centre in Orford Road, a council owned community centre, is being used by a group of ISIS sympathising women.

Exclusion in Waltham Forest

Moving towards social inclusion in South Africa

A young multi cultural choir from many different backgrounds singing 'Shosholoza,' a South African migrant workers' song.

Could a similar initiative work in Waltham Forest - to encouraget socially excluded gangs and other disadvantaged youth, mainly boys, get to know each other and work together in a positive manner?

Decidedly not, as we would necessarily have to include LGBT, Roma, Polish, Lithuanian, mixed race, those with disability ... Moreover, the choir consists only of boys and it would not accord with our equalities policy to exclude girls and only include
soporano, alto, tenor and bass choir members.

Moving towards social exclusion inWaltham Forest

Waltham Forest Council needs to connect with its many marginalised communities, some indigenous, others recently arrived.

Council urgently needs a long term vision for its education and training strategy to replace the current political battleground of different ideologies, values and visions.

Extremism and social exclusion

Brain scans show social exclusion creates jihadists, say researchers
6 Jan 2019 read ...
International studies of young Muslim men show that radicalisation follows a sense of isolation from society
University College London (UCL) researchers were part of an international team that used neuroimaging techniques to map how the brains of radicalised individuals respond to being socially marginalised. The findings, they claim, confirm that exclusion is a leading factor in creating violent jihadists.
The research challenges the prevailing belief among western policymakers that other variables, such as poverty, religious conservatism and even psychosis, are dominant drivers of jihadism. “This finally dispels such wrongheaded ideas,” said the study’s co-lead author, Nafees Hamid of UCL. “The first ever neuroimaging study on a radicalised population shows extreme pro-group behaviour seems to intensify after social exclusion.”
The findings, they claim, confirm that exclusion is a leading factor in creating violent jihadists.
The research challenges the prevailing belief among western policymakers that other variables, such as poverty, religious conservatism and even psychosis, are dominant drivers of jihadism. “This finally dispels such wrongheaded ideas,” said the study’s co-lead author, Nafees Hamid of UCL. “The first ever neuroimaging study on a radicalised population shows extreme pro-group behaviour seems to intensify after social exclusion.”

Why are black people more vulnerable to mental illness?
Black people in the UK are more likely than white people to be diagnosed with mental health problems and to be sectioned. Motivated by his own experiences of depression, blogger and radio presenter Keith Dube wants to find out why Britain's black community is facing this mental health crisis.listen ...

Young 'shafted' in Waltham Forest

Shocking toll of teenagers stabbed and shot to death in London rises to 15
16 August 2017read ...
The shocking death toll of teenagers stabbed and shot to death in London has risen to 15, three months after Elijah Dornelly was killed in Walthamstow.
In April, Scotland Yard recorded a surge of 51 per cent in gun crime and a 34 per cent rise in knife crime in Waltham Forest.
Elijah was walking home with a friend from an anti-knife rally before his attackers pounced on him and made off on bicycles.
In just three months another six young men have found the same fate, with two teenagers losing their lives in 24 hours on Friday (August 8).

Passchendaele - 1917

For what were we fighting?

'Waltham Forest is Islamist terror offender hotspot' new report claims
7 March 2017 read …
Waltham Forest has been named as a hotspot for Islamist-inspired terror offenders in a new report.
The study, published by human rights think tank The Henry Jackson Society, found the number of Islamism-related terror offences in the has UK nearly doubled between 2010 and 2015.

Government launch plan to tackle racial inequality in 'hotspot' borough Waltham Forest
11 October 2017read …
Waltham Forest is one of 20 areas across the UK where measures will be taken to tackle racial inequalities under new government plans.
Mentoring schemes and traineeships for people from ethnic minority backgrounds aged 16 to 24 could be introduced in the borough under measures announced by Prime Minister Theresa May today (Tuesday, October 10)..

The future of any society depends on how it treats it's young
In a land without morals, it's no wonder children kill each other

Neighbours describe 'horror' scenes as cars smashed and missiles thrown in riot in Church Road, Leyton
27 July 2017read …
Hundreds of youths gathered in Church Road, Leyton on Wednesday, July 26 after being refused entry to a party in nearby Willow Brook Primary School.
Cars parked on the road were jumped upon and had their windscreens smashed while traffic was brought to a standstill.
Riot police were called in at 9pm and it took three hours for the crowd to be dispersed.
One police officer was injured after missiles were thrown from the crowd.
An elderly resident who has lived in the street for 12 years said: “When I heard the noise I turned off all my lights and peeked out through the curtains.
“I saw people jumping on cars and smashing windscreens. It was absolute horror.
“I was so afraid I closed my curtains and didn’t want to be seen. It was terrible. I was getting messages from neighbours to see if I was ok.
“There was so much noise. There was a line of police from one side of the road to the other and they had shields and were covering their heads.”
Another witness said she believes the youths, who looked to be in their late teens or early 20s were drunk because of the “hysterical” way they were behaving.

Riot report reveals '500,000 forgotten families'
27 March 2012
A lack of support and opportunity for young people contributed to the outbreak of riots in England last year, an independent report has concluded. Schools which fail to teach pupils to read and write should be fined, it said.

Reluctant Gangsters, John Pitts 2007 | Read the Guardian reportJohn Pitts said: “It appears that gang-affected families don’t feel that their concerns are represented, or their predicament understood, by politicians and policy makers. As far as they are concerned we don’t exist, and even if we do, we are just some kind of problem that won’t go away.” Pitts went on to say: "I think their parents are too stretched with trying just to make a living. They haven’t got time to care."

This is a personal blog, which aims to scrutinise the powers that be in Waltham Forest, from the Council (hereafter London Borough of Waltham Forest or LBWF), both elected members and staff; to our MP... http://www.walthamforestmatters.org.uk/

Knife crime in Waltham Forest: a nasty little scandal

Final report, London Borough of Waltham Forest Evaluation of the Gangs Prevention Programme:
Stage 2 report,
April 2014 Recommendation 3
The GPP should seek to address confusion around lines of responsibility and accountability at both strategic and operational levels. This will assist those partners, in the statutory and voluntary and community sectors, delivering services funded by the GPP understand where to receive support and guidance to ensure effective delivery of their projects and to help improve the efficiency of the GPP. read report ...

Average of one knife crime every day in Waltham Forest
19 March 2015read ...
Police in the borough recorded 350 offences, including 144 stabbings.
The Met refused to reveal how many people had been killed by a knife in Waltham Forest, claiming releasing the information "could identify family members and cause them mental and/or physical harm."

Top trauma surgeon reveals shocking extent of London’s gun crime
6 October 2017 read …
A leading trauma surgeon has told how the number of patients treated for gunshot injuries at a major London hospital has doubled in the last five years.
Martin Griffiths, a consultant vascular and trauma surgeon, said medics at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel where he works were expecting to treat 50 to 60 victims of gun crime this year alone.
He said the hospital’s major trauma centre had seen a bigger rise in gunshot injuries compared to knife wounds and that the average age of victims was getting younger.
Dr Griffiths, who works with at-risk teenagers to prevent them from becoming involved in gangs and violent crime, made the remarks at a meeting held by the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee on Thursday.

Number of children carrying knives in London schools has doubled in five years
13 March 2017read ...Statistics released by the Met police show that the number of knife related crimes in schools is also rising as politicians described the figures as a “wake up call” for London. The data shows that the number of pupils caught in possession of knives in schools has risen for a fifth successive year, with 299 students found with knives in 2016, compared to 236 in 2015 and 203 in 2014. In 2011, there were 152 children caught carrying knives in schools.
Martin Powell Davies, London Regional Secretary, National Union of Teachers, said schools need more resources and time in the curriculum to be able to pick up issues and educate young people about the dangers of carrying knives.

Muslim woman 'attacked' at Walthamstow polling station for wearing Labour sticker on hijabread ...
A political campaigner has been the victim of an “Islamophobic hate crime” for wearing a Labour party sticker on her hijab, according to Stella Creasy.
The Labour candidate for Walthamstow condemned the “attack” in a video posted online to her 20,000 followers.
Ms Creasy said she had just returned from campaigning in Ilford North when she heard a member of her Labour team was attacked at a polling station in Walthamstow.

Boris announces London-wide gang exit programme
2 February 2016read ...
Mayor Boris Johnson has pledged £1m to a new city-wide programme aimed at helping vulnerable young people turn their backs on gangs.
The London Gang Exit programme, which is also part-funded by London Community Rehabilitation Company, is expected to help around 300 16-24 year olds each year.
Any young Londoner identified by the police or other agency as a gang member or vulnerable to being recruited by gangs is eligible to be referred and would receive specialised one to one mentoring and support.
City Hall says the scheme is “fully funded” until October 2017 and will be delivered in partnership with a range of specialist organisations including Only Connect and youth charity Redthread.
Mayor Johnson said: “I want every young Londoner to be able to feel safe on our city’s streets, and since 2012, we’ve made huge progress in driving down gang crime.

Metropolitan Police Service 'is not effectively keeping people safe', damning report reveals
18 February 2016 read ...
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) released reports on all police forces in the country today.
It found that the Met, which covers all 32 London boroughs, was good at tackling serious and organised crime but the quality of its investigations were poor.
The report said: "The quality of some crime investigations and the implementation of integrated offender management requires improvement.
Met deputy assistant commissioner Mark Simmons said he was disappointed with the report but reassured people that new systems were in place to address these issues.

Knife crime up 14% because gang warfare is becoming 'embedded in our culture'
29 April 2017read …
Violent gangs are now "embedded" in our culture, experts have warned after six people were stabbed to death in the capital in seven days. The comments come after figures released this week show knife crime increased by 14 per cent year on year in 2016 to levels not seen since 2011.
The debate surrounding knife crime was thrown again into the spotlight after six people aged between 17 and 48 were killed in London between April 22 and Friday afternoon, with at least one believed to be gang related.
"Without any shadow of a doubt, gangs have always been present in the periphery as a phenomenon of our culture," said award-winning professor David Wilson.
"But I would say they are now very much embedded in the culture in our towns and cities."

Nursery worker beaten and stabbed by three girls 'shouting about Allah'
7 June 2017read …
A nursery worker was beaten up and stabbed by three girls as she walked to work in east London this morning.
The woman, aged in her 30s, was walking from Wanstead station to Little Diamonds nursery on Hermon Hill when the attackers came up behind her at just after 9.30am on Wednesday.
They shoved her to the ground before punching and kicking her during the terrifying attack.
Karrien Stevens, who runs Little Diamonds nursery on Hermon Hill where the victim works, told the Standard the three attackers were “chanting the Koran”.
She said: “A staff member was coming to work when three Asian girls came up behind her chanting the Koran.
“They pulled her to the ground, kicking and punching her.“One of them got the knife out and cut her arm. “They were shouting about Allah, that and the Koran.”
The nursery manager added the attack had "nothing to do with the nursery".

'Escalation' of knife crime in Waltham Forest
Sheridan Mangal says knife crime has increased in the last three months
24 March 2015read ...Sheridan Mangal, chairman of A Better Way Partnership (ABWP), works closely with police and the council and is regularly updated on serious incidents. He said there has been an upturn in knife crime in the last three months.
It comes after the Guardian last week revealed there was an average of nearly one knife crime reported in the borough every day last year. Almost half of the victims were aged 24 and under.
However, according to Waltham Forest police, there was a reduction in knife crime by 7.3 per cent in 2014. Waltham Forest Chief Superintendent Jackie Sebire, said: "Knife crime in Waltham Forest is decreasing. The council's cabinet member for community safety and cohesion cllr Liaquat Ali MBE, said: "The Metropolitan Police has indicated a fall in knife crime.

Children as young as six carrying knives on London's streets, Met chief told
18 May 2017read …
Children as young as six are carrying knives in the capital, Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick was told while discussing the devastating impact of the weapons in London Communities.
The capital has seen a wave of knife attacks in recent weeks, with thirteen people stabbed to death.

Gun crime soars by 51 per cent in Waltham Forest
13 April 2017read …
Scotland Yard registered annual rises across a number of serious offence categories in Waltham Forest over the past 12 months.
GUN crime offences in Waltham Forest have surged by 51 per cent in the last year, according to Scotland Yard.
Knife crime offences resulting in an injury also increased, by 22 per cent to 155 from 2016 to 2017, compared to 127 offences the year before.
Robbery in the borough is up 10 per cent from the year before, with 651 offences, while sexual offences also jumped 12 per cent with 539 offences recorded.
Islamaphobic hate crime is up 16 per cent while fraud offences soared by a staggering 46 per cent from the previous year.

Acid attacks 'hidden' by fearful victims, say police
22 April 2017read ...
Figures from police forces across the UK suggest that the number of assaults involving corrosive substances has risen by 30% in two years.
In London, the number of attacks increased from 261 in 2015 to 454 last year. About 74% of police investigations since 2014 were wound down because the perpetrators could not be identified or victims were unwilling to press charges.
ACC Kearton, from Suffolk Police, who is the National Police Chiefs Council spokesperson on corrosive attacks, told BBC Radio 4: "It's something that is used in order to maim and disfigure people and, as we've heard, it has lasting physical and emotional damage for victims,"

London schoolchildren 'using acid instead of knives as weapon of choice
24 April 2017 read …
London schoolchildren are increasingly using acid as a weapon instead of knives, it is claimed. The attacks, known as “dosing”, have seen a sharp increase in recent years, with youths smuggling acid or ammonia into school hidden inside drinks bottles.
One teenager told the Sunday Times many children were using a bottle of cheap household cleaner as a weapon, saying: “It’s just easier to squirt someone.”
The 18-year-old, who claimed to have carried acid since he was 12, said: “You can get that for, like, £5 and f*** someone’s whole life up.
Data released by the Metropolitan Police, showed the number of reported attacks in London rose from 261 in 2015 to 454 in 2016, a rise of 74 per cent.

Man found collapsed and screaming on street after acid attack in Leyton
21 March 2017 read …
A man was found screaming "help me" in a heap on the floor after an acid attack.
The 29-year-old was found collapsed on Calderon Road, Leyton, shortly before 7am on Monday, March 20.
Masir Uddin, who works as a shopkeeper nearby, said the victim, who is believed to be eastern European, is a regular customer at his shop.
Mr Uddin said after hearing the man’s cries for help he went outside and found him collapsed on the street.

Sharp rise in number of acid attacks in London, Met reveals21 March 2017read ...
Police have seen a sharp rise in the number of acid attacks in London, official figures show.
The data, released by the Metropolitan Police, showed the number of reported attacks in London rose from 261 in 2015 to 454 in 2016, a rise of 74 per cent.
The figures also revealed that more than 1,800 attacks involving corrosive fluid have been reported since 2010.
Acid is believed to be a popular weapon for gangs as it is easy to obtain and it can be difficult to identify the attacker.

Hate crimes soared by 41% after Brexit vote, official figures reveal
13 October 2016 read …
Home Office figures appear to correlate with previous reports of a rise in post-Brexit hate crime
There was a sharp increase in the number of racially or religiously aggravated crimes recorded by police in England and Wales following the EU referendum.
In July 2016, police recorded a 41 per cent increase compared to the same month the year before, according to a Home Office report.
These official figures appear to correlate with previous reports of a rise in post-Brexit hate crime.

Poverty and entitlement

Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery it is man-made

Exhausted staff treated little better than slaves - no wonder so many care workers don’t seem to care7 March 2018read …
James Bloodworth was offered a care worker role at Carewatch UK in Blackpool.
He had no prior experience and completed four days of training before starting
Staff were given a zero hours contract and expected to be fully flexible
He shared the demands of the role and the affect on those receiving care

Comment
Miss Roberta Hunter, West Midlands

The care industry is a minefield of underpaid sleep-ins, zero hour contracts, working time directives being ignored . unpaid travel time, with no breaks
The Government must fully inarervestigate this now. No excuses.
The abuse of care workers by their own employers is staggering.
How can we entrust the care of the sick, elderly and disabled into the hand of employers who steal from the pockets' of their own workers.

Warning: taxpayers may be forced to bail out councils such as Waltham Forest due to 'weak' pension funds.
19 December 2014read ... The Centre for Policy Studies has highlighted the authority is in danger of being unable to meet its liabilities, raising the possibility of a bail-out by taxpayers.
Michael Johnson, Centre for Policy studies: “Indeed, some funds may already be beyond the point of no return. This is partly the result of dismally incompetent governance.”

Martin Esom appointed Chief ExecutiveSeptember 2010 read ...
Esom was a senior officer during a time when rules to prevent fraud were regularly ignored at the council, although there is no evidence to suggest he was involved.
Confidential documents seen by the Guardian revealed that Cllr Robbins decided that Mr Kilburn should leave following a breakdown in the working relationship between the two.

It seems a lot easier to reward poor performance than to face the awkwardness of having difficult conversations
3 June 2015read ...
Too many managers are flouting the principles of good performance management, as despite being rated as poor performers, they are still being rewarded by their employers
Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and XpertHR

Social Integration CommissionThe Secretariat:
Richard Bell,
Rosie Evans,
Afua Kudom,
Mark Rusling, ,
Alexander Woolf, Jon Yates,
Muna Yusuf website ... The UK is becoming more diverse. That much is incontestable.
Yet what is far less understood is what this means for our society. Increasing diversity along the lines of age, ethnicity and social grade raises many questions: how should people living in a diverse society relate to and interact with one another? Are highly diverse and highly integrated communities possible and even desirable? What is the economic impact of this diversity?
We will seek to answer some of these questions and ultimately explore whether any of this matters.The Commission has three main aims:
1) Explore the nature and extent of social contact between people of different ages, ethnicities and social grades
2) Assess the impact of social division on the UK economy and society
3) Make practical and affordable recommendations across key policy areas

Ethnic minorities face 'entrenched' racial inequality - watchdog
18 August 2016read ...
Black and ethnic minority people in Britain still face 'entrenched' race inequality in many areas, including education and health, a watchdog warns.
A review by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which also looked at employment, housing, pay, and criminal justice, found an 'alarming picture'.
Black graduates earn on average 23.1% less than white ones, and more ethnic minorities are unemployed, it found.
The government said it was committed to 'delivering real social reform'.
David Isaac, the commission's chairman, said the report reveals a "very worrying combination of a post-Brexit rise in hate crime and long-term systemic unfairness and race inequality".

UK home to 80% of top-earning European bankers
2 February 2017read ...
More than 4,000 City-based bank workers were paid more than €1m (£850,000) in 2015 – including one fund manager who received nearly €34m.
New data from the European Banking Authority, a pan-European regulator, showed that 80% of the EU financiers classified as high earners – those receiving more than €1m a year – were based in the UK,
Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the TUC, said: “It’s a worrying sign that Britain’s banking sector still has the wrong priorities, and is more about servicing a culture of excess at the top rather than servicing the economy and giving fair pay to staff at the bottom of the chain.”
Across the EU, 5,124 financiers – bankers, fund managers and compliance experts – received €1m, of which 4,133 were based in the UK, the EU’s biggest financial centre. ..

The Impoverishment of the UK
23 Nov 2014read ...
Poverty and Social Exclusion report reveals impoverished nation
A stark picture of the levels and extent of deprivation in the UK today is revealed in the Poverty and Social Exclusion (PSE) first report ‘The Impoverishment of the UK’. The research finds that for a significant proportion of the population their living standards fall below minimum levels and for some, living conditions and opportunities have been going backwards.

Council leader Chris Robbins insists Martin Esom has earned a pay-rise for overseeing cuts
11 September 2014read ...
Waltham Forest council has defended its decision to give an inflation-busting pay rise to its chief executive.

Waltham Forest Council acted unlawfully and failed “to accord with reality” in trying to evict a soup kitchen for vulnerable homeless people after 25 years. 7th April 2014 read ...

Top

Will a young person having neither skills nor qualification have a career, or the possibility of one? What is the role of the council in providing said skills and qualifications?

Waltham Forest Council Watch
supporting open and accountable government

In society, Gangnam Style could be likened to musicians in an orchestra comprised of an ensemble of strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion and other instruments, each playing a different tune, in their own key at their own pace and time.